Forsman & Bodenfors has found a clever way to insert a safety feature into GPS satellite navigation: Have the app switch to a child's voice near schools, day-care centers and other areas where children are likely to be present.
The video below explains the "Slow Down GPS" app, which F&B—the Swedish agency best known for its "Epic Split" ad with Jean-Claude Van Damme—created for If Insurance. "We think of it as a subtle audio sign that says, 'Children at play,' " the agency explains.
Nearly a year in the making, the child-voice navigation feature is available in Sweden, Finland and Norway so far. The first version of the app comes loaded with the GPS locations for all schools and day-care centers in the Nordic region. A crowdsourcing section on the If website asks the public to add more locations.
The app is available now for free download in the App Store and on Google Play.