An UnXpectd approach to road safety

Men aged 17-24 in the UK are four times more likely to be killed or seriously injured while driving than older groups. They combine over-confidence, an optimism bias and propensity for risk-taking behaviour on the road, making for tragic results.

We had to get them to adjust their driving behaviour when faced with adverse weather because most didn’t understand how risky it can be to not adapt to the conditions.

Our challenge was to convey this to an audience is known for its resistance to traditional safety messages.

Research told us that young men aged 17-24 weren’t belligerently speeding, they genuinely didn’t understand just how risky just a few miles over the speed limit in the wrong conditions can be.

We needed to be in the car with these lads and speak their language, but crucially, do it when it mattered most …when conditions changed.

We created UNXPECTD FM, a simulated pirate radio station that could connect with our target audience in their own language when conditions on the road changed. By tapping into and disrupting traditional audio feeds, drivers wouldn’t have to tune into our station, it would come to them.

Most importantly, UNXPECTD FM was a campaign that didn’t sound like a campaign at all. Voiced by a pair of straight-talking DJs, it was in the car talking our target audience’s language.

Messages would be delivered at the most critical moments that felt organic and relatable – when driving conditions got challenging. Multiple creatives would call out real-time conditions, using a range of formats, including phone-in segments, introductions, and conclusions.

UNXPECTD FM took a huge problem and found a way to deliver a crucial message in the right place at the right time. The campaign shifted perceptions and inspired safer behaviour, all without sounding like a lecture.