Speed contributes to around one in four fatal collisions on our road, and kills and injures 58 young people every week. But despite this, only 32% of young men consider it very risky, with THINK! research showing that this audience particularly underestimate the risks of driving just a little too fast for the conditions.
To help tackle this, THINK! is relaunching their campaign to raise awareness of the impact that even slight speeding on rural roads can have. The campaign speaks to male drivers aged 17-24, as they are overrepresented in speed-related deaths and injuries. The campaign creative both highlights the consequences of driving too fast for the conditions, especially on rural roads, and champions those who respect the road and get there safely.
The campaign asks young drivers ‘Is pushing it worth it?’, encouraging them to reflect on their own driving and to reappraise the consequences of what they currently perceive to be safe speeds. It will run across video on demand, digital audio, online video and social media for 8weeks from January to March 2024.
As part of the campaign, THINK! launched UnXpected FM, a new audio ad, in the form of a fake pirate radio station. The innovative and dynamic ad uses real-time weather data to tailor its broadcasts, incorporating references to specific rural road conditions – such as ice, wind, or rain – that our young drivers may encounter. The charismatic hosts of the radio station played by comedy actor Hugo Chegwin (BBC’s People Just Do Nothing) and Kadeem Ramsay (Netflix’s Top Boy) encourage our target audience to reflect on their own driving and consider the consequences of what they currently perceive to be safe speeds.
The ads will digitally broadcast nationally across England and Wales. There are 13 distinct variations of the ad, each designed to resonate with different scenarios. To provide a glimpse, you can listen to the generic ad below.
We welcome support from partners in sharing the campaign assets via your channels – select ‘Get this’ below and then click the Vimeo icon to download the assets. Assets are free to use for educational purposes, however if you would like to use the templates for paid or commercial opportunities, this may involve additional usage costs – please fill out a usage request form to help us determine this.
All assets signpost to Is pushing your speed worth it? – THINK!, where young drivers can find more information on speeding and rural roads.
Please find the partner toolkit here THINK! speeding campaign 2024 – partner toolkit and a clip of our radio ad directly below.
