Volkswagen's shocking driving ad stuns moviegoers

Kiwi ad agencies are pretty good at road safety messages - but Volkswagen may have trumped all our previous efforts with a brilliant ad campaign to fight mobile phone use in cars.

Volkswagen has thrown its weight behind the fight against mobile phone use from behind the wheel with the help of some clever tech and some unsuspecting movie goers.

Before the movie plays, the first person clip of a person starting up their car and cruising down a perfectly straight, tree lined road starts to play.

Just as the cinema goers start to become engrossed in the mystery ad, the folks behind it send a text message to all the mobile phones in the cinema.

As everyone takes their eyes off the screen and starts searching for their phones, the car on screen careens into one of the trees lining the aforementioned perfectly straight road.

While everyone regains their composure from the shock of it all the message "Mobile use is now the leading cause of death behind the wheel, a reminder to keep your eyes on the road" appears in front of the shocked faces of the cinema goes, some still clutching their mobiles.

Nobody saw it coming, which was the entire point. If you take your eyes off the road, you won't react to a potential hazard in time.

Well played Volkswagen, you can guarantee the cinema goes will never forget the message.

For more motoring news go to nzherald.co.nz/driven or facebook.com/DrivenNZ