MIDDLE EAST — Keeping safety at the heart of its business, GMC has rolled out its “Forgotten Toy” campaign to raise public awareness around the dangers of leaving children unattended in a vehicle, even for a short period of time. Every year, multiple fatalities in cars are reported around the world, and the Middle East is no exception with outdoor temperatures hitting near 50°C and indoor car temperatures rising up to an additional 30°C in less than 15 minutes. 

A common and dangerous practice, leaving children unattended in cars with the windows rolled up has resulted in numerous critical injuries and fatal cases over the years around the world. Studies have shown that children’s bodies tend to heat up 3 to 5 times faster than adults, while children are also incapable of cooling themselves down. The negative effects of extreme temperatures on children have been further confirmed by pediatric associations worldwide, with children often falling victim to hyperthermia dehydration and other risks that can be fatal. 

GMC designed its “Forgotten Toy” campaign as a metaphorical representation of these dangers to portray the severity of leaving children alone in cars. The campaign’s message caters to GMC’s fellow community members living in the region, with the hope of helping prevent such injuries or fatalities during the more challenging summer climate. 

Daniella D’Souza, Head of Brand – GMC Middle East, said: “The safety of drivers, passengers and the wider community sits at the center of everything we do as a brand. While we are constantly innovating and striving to add value to the safety standards in our GMC vehicles, we also share a responsibility to shed light on critical and life-threatening issues like this one. Everyone has a role to play to deliver safety and we hope our loyal and growing community around the region joins us in raising awareness around the risks attached to the hazardous habit of leaving children unattended in cars by sharing our “Forgotten Toy” campaign and spreading the message.” 

The wax model in GMC’s “Forgotten Toy” video was made with a combination of three different materials: Silicone, Paraffin wax and Beeswax. The wax model was then carefully textured by sculptors to replicate a real-life scenario in order to bring the dangers and consequences of leaving children unattended in cars to the forefront of viewers’ minds.