mycar campaign highlights sun risk behind the wheel

TBWA\Eleven Australia and mycar Tyre & Auto have launched The Sunburnt Car, a campaign designed to highlight the often-overlooked risks of UV exposure while driving.

The work draws on national research showing a disconnect between Australians’ awareness of sun safety and their behaviour inside vehicles.

The study found that while 92 percent of Australians consider themselves sun safe, 72 percent do not take precautions in the car. A further 70 percent believe they are protected from UV exposure while driving, despite standard windows not fully blocking harmful rays, and 65 percent do not apply sunscreen before getting behind the wheel.

Addressing a hidden daily risk

The campaign focuses on a routine behaviour that often goes unnoticed, with many Australians protecting themselves outdoors but not during everyday travel. To address this, TBWA\Eleven Australia developed a visual demonstration to make cumulative UV exposure more tangible.

At the centre of the campaign is a vehicle reupholstered in synthetic skin that reacts to UV exposure. Installed at Circular Quay in Sydney, the activation shows visible signs of damage as the material burns under UV light, illustrating the gradual effects that can occur over time.

Simon Hayes, Creative Director, TBWA\Eleven Australia: "The idea was to make the invisible UV risk we take every day visible in an unignorable — and frankly, unhinged — way."

Craft and scientific collaboration

The project was developed with Odd Studio, a prosthetics and design studio, and informed by medical expertise to ensure accuracy in how skin reacts to UV exposure. The interior design used the Fitzpatrick Scale to represent a range of skin tones, with detailed features such as freckles and moles applied individually to reflect realistic human skin.

Archana Murugaser, Creative Director, TBWA\Eleven Australia: "Our incredible partners took the craft to the next level, ensuring every part of the synthetic skin reflected exactly what happens to human skin when exposed to UV."

Dr Joanneke Maitz, surgeon-scientist in Burns and Reconstructive Surgery, Concord Hospital: "Many Australians do not realise that UV exposure in the car creates damage over time, and it can be just as harmful as time spent outdoors if UV levels are high. Damage to your skin can happen without the visible effects of burning.

"Although UVB, the main cause of visible sunburn, does not typically penetrate glass, UVA does, reaching deeper layers of the skin where it contributes to long-term DNA damage and ageing. Window tinting and treatments can reduce this exposure, but driving with windows or the roof open allows the full UV spectrum through."

Driving behaviour change

Beyond awareness, the campaign introduces practical tools to encourage behavioural change. Research showed that 66 percent of Australians would find a visual in-car reminder useful for sun protection.

mycar Tyre & Auto is distributing 55,000 UV-sensitive Sun Spot stickers across its locations and online. The stickers change colour when UV is present, prompting drivers and passengers to take protective measures before exposure builds.

Adele Coswello, Chief Customer Officer at mycar Tyre & Auto: "At mycar, our commitment extends beyond tyres and vehicle servicing — we genuinely care about our customers. Our research showed in-car sun exposure is an area where more awareness is needed.

"Australians spend significant time behind the wheel driving on average 12,000kms a year, behind only the US and Canada, and our research showed this is an area where more awareness is needed. Sunburnt Car was created to bring that message to life in a way that could prompt action."

The campaign also features melanoma survivor and author Anne Gately as an ambassador, reinforcing the health message and the importance of consistent sun protection.

Anne Gately: "As someone who survived stage IV melanoma, I know firsthand how easy it is to underestimate the sun and what it takes to truly protect yourself. The Sunburnt Car makes this danger visible and tangible, and I stand behind a project that could genuinely save lives by reminding Australians that sun safety is not optional."

www.mycar.com.au

www.tbwa.com.au

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