WSDOT doodles make drivers laugh — and pay attention
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
WSDOT says humor captures driver attention better than flashing signs. Illustration: Courtesy of WSDOT
Drivers may scroll past a road-closure alert — but they'll remember a cow doodled into a roundabout.
The big picture: That's the thought behind the Washington State Department of Transportation's use of online humor — hand-drawn maps, horoscope tie-ins and even Dave Matthews traffic jokes — to deliver alerts about road closures and work zone safety.
How it works: Humor makes people more likely to pay attention and remember a message, according to a meta-analysis in the Journal of Advertising.
What they're saying: "We're asking people to pay attention to heavy things," Rachel Terlep, who manages interactive engagement for WSDOT, said.
- "When we can be light or humorous — delivered with a spoonful of sugar — people will actually read it."
Catch up quick: It all started with former social media manager Mike Allende's illustration of a bear on a thoroughfare.
- "Can't see that black bear in I-90 median on camera, but here's what it may look like," WSDOT posted on X back in 2014.
- People loved it, said Terlep, and the agency realized it was on to something.
Staff now upload maps into Canva, doodle on them and post them alongside tongue-in-cheek captions.
- The rougher they look, the better the engagement.
Fast forward: The hits keep coming, from storms and Sir Mix-a-Lot to road closures and Taylor Swift:
- "I think the heat has gotten in the head of whoever wrote this and I am here for it!" wrote one Facebook commenter on a post using animals to announce gnarly road closures. "Bring on the cute critters in hard hats! 🦦🦊🦫"
- "I appreciate the humor….and cute animals. Both help," said another.