An innovative project by advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi that has harnessed Flinders University know-how to boost remote area emergency communications has won three coveted Gold and Silver Lions at Cannes.

Flinders congratulates Saatchi & Saatchi Australia for winning a Creative Innovation Lion in Cannes for the Toyota LandCruiser Emergency Network. The project was also awarded a Gold Lion and Silver Lion in the Promo and Activation category.

The LandCruiser Emergency Network is a pioneering new technology that can deliver emergency communications to outback Australia via Toyota LandCruisers.

Saatchi & Saatchi developed a global promotional campaign to showcase the Toyota LEN, which is driven by research by Flinders University “digital blacksmith” Dr Paul Gardner-Stephen.

This multifaceted partnership has resulted in device which has been engineered using a clever mix of WI-FI, UHF and Delay Tolerant Networking (DTN) technology to turn vehicles into communications hotspots each with up to a 25km range.

The technology is currently being piloted in a fleet of LandCruisers fitted with the device in the remote and rugged Flinders Ranges where conventional telecommunications are extremely limited.