‘Text and Drive’ billboard from Walthan Funeral home is a bait and switch.

You may have seen the billboard ‘Text and Drive’ signed "Walthan Funeral" home on social media, or if you are in Canada, on the digital billboard by the Gardiner Expressway in Toronto this week.

It's not what it appears to be though, it's ad agency John St. who created this billboard in partnership with Cieslok Media. The idea is meant to get people to reflect on texting and driving. It is after all, quite a dangerous habit. 

If you caught the billboard and got upset enough to search out the sender "Wathan Funeral Home", all you would find is a website explaining that there is no Wathan Funeral Home. Psych! It's a PSA, people! 

The body copy on the simple website clears up the bait-and-switch immediately and explains:  

It is a horrible thing for a funeral home to do.
But we're not a funeral home.

We're just trying to get Canadians to stop texting and driving, which, if current trends continue, is expected to exceed fatalities from drinking and driving as early as next year. And while most people wouldn't even think about drinking and driving, over half of Ontario drivers admit to reading texts while behind the wheel. That's more than half of the drivers on the road today risking their lives, their passengers’ lives and the lives of their fellow motorists and pedestrians.

Which should make you even madder
than our billboard did.

The Wathan Funeral Home website is at Walthanfuneral.com

Well done, John St. You had the whole internet and most of Toronto a little upset there.