Stuntwoman Attempts Her Most Dangerous Stunt Yet, and It's a Familiar One

Zoë Bell is an accomplished Hollywood stuntwoman, having performed in a number of blockbusters since moving to Los Angeles from New Zealand years ago. 

But those who follow Bell’s Instagram Stories weren’t prepared for the video below, which she posted recently while driving a high-performance Mustang around her old Auckland City neighborhood. 

Before reading further, check out the minute-long clip: 

On Instagram, people probably fell for this thing hard. As if taking a selfie video weren’t distracting enough, Bell also applies lipstick and sips coffee, among other relatable (but risky) acts. 

She becomes visibly more distracted as she advances. Then, of course, the twist—she isn’t driving at all. Pf all the crazy stunts she’s done, driving distracted is the one thing she won’t do.

The video was made by Ogilvy New Zealand for Auckland Transport. In Auckland, distracted driving led to 26 deaths and 277 serious injuries between 2013 and 2018. 

“Distracted driving is something we’ve all done and do, knowingly or not—from a glance at the phone, to a sip of coffee, or an adjustment of the hair or makeup,” Ogilvy executive creative director Lisa Fedyszyn says. 

“We needed to mirror these dangerous actions back to all Aucklanders in a non-judgmental way, to get them to see just how dangerous these driving habits can be. Having a kick-arse, fearless and daring stuntwoman such as Zoë Bell speaking out against these dangerous actions we perform every day is something we’re very excited about and grateful for.”

Bell also shared the video on her personal Facebook and Twitter accounts, where it enjoyed hundreds of thousands of views across all platforms. It was also covered in on national news and entertainment networks.

In an interview with TV3 Newshub, Bell distills the campaign’s importance thus: “You’re taking other people’s lives in your hands. That’s literally what you’re doing when you send a text saying you’re running five minutes late.”

CREDITS
Client: Auckland Transport
Community Transport Manager: Claire Dixon
Marketing Services Manager: Mark Sharman
Marketing Campaign Advisor: Kelly Hansen
Community Transport Team Leader: Kim Modlin
Agency: Ogilvy, New Zealand
Chief Creative Officer: Regan Grafton
Executive Creative Director: Lisa Fedyszyn
Executive Creative Director: Jonathan McMahon
Creative Director: Rupert Hancock
Senior Creative: Cece Chu
Design Director: Danny Carlsen
Head of Design: Nathan Chambers
Designer: James O’Connor
Designer: Erin Joyce
Head of Operations: Siobhan Burke
Agency Film Producer: Matt McPhail
Business Director: Chris Hotchin
Strategy Director: Ben Fielding
Marketing Director/PR: Huia Ngapo
Digital Director: Helen Breckon
Production Company: Film 360
Director/DOP: Darryl Ward
On-screen Talent: Zoë Bell
Senior Producer: Sage Haggart
Head of Post Production: Martin Spencer
Senior Editor: Ben Marshall
Motion Graphic Designer: Anna Bittle
Editor: Gonzalo Deza
Audio Engineer: Keegan Meiring