Creative agency TBWA\Eleven Australia and mycar Tyre & Auto have launched “The Sunburnt Car,” a campaign focused on sun exposure while driving. New national research commissioned by mycar Tyre & Auto shows a gap between perceived and actual protection in the car.

While 92% of Australians say they consider themselves “sun safe,” says the campaign, 72% overlook sun protection while driving or riding in a vehicle. The research also found 70% believe they are protected from the sun while in the car, while 39% believe car windows block those rays altogether. In practice, 65% do not apply sunscreen before driving.

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The findings point to behavior where people protect themselves at the beach, at the park and on high-heat days, but not during daily exposure in the car.

“It points to a familiar Australian behaviour hiding in plain sight: people protect themselves at the beach, at the park and on high-heat days, but not during one of the most routine forms of exposure in daily life — in the car,” said the TBWA\Eleven Australia

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Launching at Circular Quay in Sydney, the installation shows a car interior exposed to UV, where the synthetic skin burns and reveals visible damage over time.

“The idea was to make the invisible UV risk we take every day visible in an unignorable — and frankly, unhinged — way,” said Simon Hayes, Creative Director, TBWA.

The campaign was developed in partnership with Odd Studio, the Oscar- and BAFTA-winning prosthetic, creature effects and character design studio based in Marrickville, and informed by Dr Joanneke Maitz, surgeon-scientist in Burns and Reconstructive Surgery at Concord Hospital.

“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,” said Archana Murugaser, Creative Director, TBWA.

Each freckle, mole and hair was individually applied, with some moles intentionally resembling those that could be cancerous, reinforcing the campaign’s health message without overstating it.

That realism was critical to the idea: an ordinary vehicle interior rendered in skin, then exposed to UV to show the damage many Australians do not realise can occur while driving.

“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,” said Dr Joanneke Maitz.

“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.”

Adele Coswello, Chief Customer Officer at mycar Tyre & Auto, added: “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 12,000 km 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 Anne Gately, author of Sunburnt and a stage IV melanoma survivor, as an ambassador for the work.

“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,” said Gately.

“‘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.”

The campaign does not stop at awareness. Research also showed that 66% of Australians would find a visual in-car reminder useful to prompt sunscreen use or other protective measures before driving.

In response, mycar Tyre & Auto is rolling out 55,000 free Sun Spot stickers at its 275+ locations nationwide and online. The UV-sensitive stickers change colour when UV is detected, giving drivers and passengers a simple cue to think about protection before exposure builds.

For more information about The Sunburnt Car campaign, or to order a free Sun Spot sticker, visit mycar.com.au/thesunburntcar.

Credits

Client: mycar Tyre & Auto
Head of Marketing: Cynthia Fernandez

Agency: TBWA\Eleven Australia

Production: Bolt
Director: Daniel Reisinger

Special make-up and creature effects company: Odd Studio

Print production: Kwik Kopy