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BPR’s Top 25 PR Projects: #7 TRW VSSI & Michigan State Police – Trooper Bucklebear Campaign (1998-99)

When seat belts and airbags are among your major products, how do give back to the community and help save lives?

You work with the State Police to develop a program that will educate the next generation of drivers about vehicle safety and the importance of using seat belts – the most important automotive safety device in history.

TRW Vehicle Safety Systems Inc. partnered with the Michigan State Police to secure and customize a radio-controlled animatronic bear robot, named Trooper Bucklebear, which had its own patrol car and traveled throughout Michigan and Ohio to give interactive auto safety presentations to thousands of school children.

Complete with an official MSP uniform and officially graduated from the MSP Academy, Trooper Bucklebear toured with sidekick Trooper Cynthia Edwards, engaging students wherever they went, communicating important safety messages and spreading goodwill for the State Police and sponsor TRW, as they passed out informative color books and baseball-type Trooper Bucklebear cards.

Bianchi PR provided media relations support for the youth safety campaign and also worked behind the scenes with the Michigan State Police to ensure the vehicle paint, MSP graphics and other details for Trooper Bucklebear and his patrol car met official specifications.

Trooper Bucklebear continued to make student visits through 2008.

(Special thanks to Gary Klasen, who headed communications for TRW’s Vehicle Safety Systems at the time, for tapping Bianchi PR for this initiative.)

BPR’s Top 25 PR Projects is a biweekly profile highlighting some of our favorite client projects, as we commemorate Bianchi PR’s 25th year in business.