How David Coulthard Helped Save Lives On Country Roads

HOW DAVID COULTHARD HELPED SAVE LIVES ON COUNTRY ROADS CATEGORY: 3.1 Advertising

AUTHORS: Claire Wood

WORD COUNT: 1,443

A STRATEGY TO TACKLE DEATHS ON COUNTRY ROADS

HOW DAVID COULTHARD HELPED SAVE LIVES ON COUNTRY ROADS

E

very year in Scotland, more than 140 people die on country roads. That equates to 70% of fatalities on Scotland’s roads. Three-quarters of deaths are male drivers.

The main problem is loss of control, partly due to driver error. Loss of control is strongly associated with inappropriate speed.

Road safety is a particular challenge with young men. They feel invulnerable.

They love to speed. And there’s science behind this. The area of the brain that processes risk – the frontal lobe – is only fully formed in your early twenties. Until then, they can’t fully understand the consequences of dangerous behaviour.

To reduce mortality and improve the safety of Scotland’s roads, we needed to educate over-confident young men about the risks of dangerous driving on country roads.

Previous social marketing campaigns tackling this problem by the Scottish Government and Road Safety Scotland (RSS, part of Transport Scotland) achieved good levels of awareness and claimed behaviour change amongst this audience.1

The Scottish Government/RSS briefed us to create a communications campaign targeting young men, encouraging them to consider the risks of going too fast (without necessarily breaking the speed limit) on country roads.

Specifically, they asked us to: • Encourage male risk-taking drivers (with a bullseye of 22 to 29 year olds) to reconsider their attitudes towards driving on country roads • Raise awareness of the complexities involved in driving these roads, emphasising the need to reassess speed based on changing conditions.

They quantified these objectives as follows: • To increase awareness and reach levels from previous campaigns

“EVERY YEAR IN SCOTLAND, MORE THAN 140 PEOPLE DIE ON COUNTRY ROADS.”

• To increase the previous year’s TNS AdEval score2 (74% motivation in 22+ age group) • To increase likes of the campaign facebook page to 4,000.

As previous campaigns had persuaded more than two-thirds of our target audience to take action3, we had a challenge on our hands.

1 2 3

54% spontaneous awareness in 2011 and 50% in 2012, TNS-BMRB Quantitative Tracking Research.

TNS proprietary measure of motivation to act / likely behavioural change.

Country roads campaigns that ran in 2011 and 2012. Results taken from quantitative research conducted by TNS-BMRB.

UNDERSTANDING OUR AUDIENCE Young men have a poor reputation when it comes to driving. Inexperience, a feeling of invulnerability and an assumption that they’re smarter than other drivers make a potent combination.

Country roads are a particular challenge as frequent drivers feel they know their twists and turns and can comfortably negotiate hazards (tractors, mud, animals). Additionally, these roads tend to observe the national speed limit, so they think it’s acceptable (and safe) to drive at the limit, or above.

‘I know exactly how fast I can go round a corner, I know what to do.’

‘There are hazards but I can get round them, it’s just a bit hairy.’

SHAKING THEIR COMPLACENCY Persuading this over-confident demographic that they’re less good at driving than they think would be no mean feat. Particularly as they hate being told what to do.

Young male research respondents.4 This demographic think they’re brilliant drivers. But the casualty and fatality rates make for a sobering contradiction.

“I don’t like being told what to do and if I am, I tend to do the opposite.”

Young male research respondent.5 Advertising to these young men is challenging. The road safety campaigns they remember are gory or shocking but risk deflection as they’re convinced they drive well. They simply don’t associate themselves with ‘careless’ or ‘less skillful’ drivers who get into trouble on the roads.

“THERE ARE HAZARDS BUT I CAN GET ROUND THEM, IT’S JUST A BIT HAIRY.”

4

Corr Research, Scotland, July 2012.

Corr Research, Scotland, July 2012.

5

We needed to unsettle them.

To persuade them that driving technique alone won’t carry them through. To explain that speed limits are a guide to keep people safe, not dictate a constant speed. To show them that sometimes, in some circumstances, additional care is needed.

This insight helped shape the proposition: You don’t have to be going over the speed limit to be driving too fast on country roads.

BRINGING THE STRATEGY TO LIFE We had a compelling thought that we believed would be considered new news.

We developed four creative routes.

Testing them in research revealed a clear favourite: a script featuring Formula 1 driver David Coulthard driving a country road behind a “ghost car” and pointing out hazards ahead. Ultimately, the ghost car spun off the road in a fatal car crash.

Using a spokesperson renowned for speeding in an anti-speeding advert was a bold move for the Government.

But the research showed that: • Where the audience usually reject “advice”, because David Coulthard was respected for driving and viewed as a credible role model/ mentor, they were prepared to listen. We explored other personalities but none elicited the same admiration • The voiceover explained that with Police help, the ghost car route was based on actual events, building credibility and helping to overcome audience scepticism6

CHOOSING OUR CHANNELS The campaign needed to reach 22 to 40 year old males in Scotland. TV, radio and online display advertising, planned and booked by Carat, launched in March.

To reach this audience in rural locations, we needed to think harder.

Stripe created partnerships with football grounds, giving us perimeter board advertising and a one-off ambient stunt at a key fixture.7 A second burst of campaign activity in September saw the Scottish Government/RSS partner with the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL)8 and the Scottish Rugby Union (SRU), enabling us to build a closer relationship with our audience.

We created a model country road with twin tracks for electronic cars.

Visitors could race a pre-programmed car that always delivered a perfect lap. Attempting to beat “David’s” car resulted in your car coming off the road, neatly illustrating the proposition.

The stand visited locations frequented by our target audience.

Interactive digital touchscreens were a first in Scotland. A digital replica of the model track, courtesy of Whitespace, afforded another opportunity to take the ‘Coulthard Challenge’.

• The hazards featured were familiar (hidden dips, tight bends, mud) so the audience could see that innocuous hazards could become problems if not approached carefully.

A compelling spokesperson and a credible reconstruction proved a powerful combination. We had our winning route.

6

7 8

Close collaboration between Scottish Government, Road Safety Scotland, the Police, Local Authorities and Road Safety bodies enabled the crash reconstruction in the final film to be based firmly on real life.

Aberdeen vs. Hearts, broadcast live on the BBC on 30 March 2013.

SPFL partnership encompassed both the governing body and all 42 professional clubs.

TV SCRIPT

Interactive digital touchscreen

The ad starts with David Coulthard sitting inside an everyday car parked on a country road. He talks to camera: David: A GUY WAS INVOLVED IN A FATAL CRASH ON THIS ROAD. WITH POLICE HELP, WE’VE SET UP A RECONSTRUCTION AND I’M GOING TO TRY AND FOLLOW IT. We cut to a shot behind David’s car as he drives off. A ghosted car moves away from David’s car and David follows it down the road. We then cut between a few scenarios where the ghosted car is driving badly. As it does David comments to us: We cut and see the ghost car nearly lose control as they go over a blind summit: David: HE SHOULD HAVE TAKEN HIS FOOT OFF THE PEDAL HERE. HIS SUSPENSION’S LIGHTENED AND HE COULD’VE LOST IT. The ghosted car goes round a right hand bend too fast and drifts onto the opposite side of the road: David: THE CAMBER HERE’S PUSHED HIM AWAY FROM THE CORNER. HE’S LUCKY THERE WAS NO-ONE COMING THE OTHER WAY. We zoom down through a dip where some water or mud is lying. The ghosted car almost skids as David slows down: David: WHOA, PAY ATTENTION. THE CONDITIONS NEARLY CAUGHT HIM OUT THERE. Finally, we cut as the ghosted car comes to a blind left-hander going way too fast.

It skids and flips a couple of times before disappearing out of out of sight into a field.

David slows down way before the bend as he sees the ghosted car crash and has a shocked reaction: David: WHOA, I WOULDN’T EVEN TRY THAT. THE GUY HAD NO CHANCE GOING AT THAT SPEED …

We fade to black as words and a voice over say: EVEN THE BEST DRIVERS IN THE WORLD ADJUST THEIR SPEED ON COUNTRY ROADS. The web address and Safer Scotland logos appear.

DONTRISKIT.INFO

RADIO SCRIPT

TV screengrabs.

We hear a guy speak in a confident, arrogant manner.

GUY: I START THE ENGINE LIKE DAVID COULTHARD. SFX:

Car starting.

GUY: I ACCELERATE LIKE DAVID COULTHARD. SFX:

Car taking off at seed.

GUY: I TAKE THAT TIGHT CORNER LIKE DAVID COULTHARD. SFX:

Car travelling quickly.

GUY: I DRIVE OVER THE BLIND SUMMIT LIKE DAVID COULTHARD. SFX:

Wheels skidding.

All of a sudden, his voice becomes less assured and confident.

GUY: I LOSE CONTROL AND HIT A TREE LIKE KENNY DIXON. SFX:

Loud crash.

GUY: I’M PRONOUNCED DEAD LIKE KENNY DIXON. SFX:

Heart monitor flat lining.

VO:

EVERY YEAR HUNDREDS OF GUYS WHO THINK THEY’RE DAVID COULTHARD REALISE THEY AREN’T. EVEN THE BEST DRIVERS IN THE WORLD ADJUST THEIR SPEED ON COUNTRY ROADS. VISIT DONTRISKIT.INFO

Model country road track for field activity.

One-off stunt at Aberdeen vs Hearts game, 30 March 2013.

Partnership with SPFL and SRU 2013.

ONLINE ACTIVITY

A CAMPAIGN THAT MADE AN IMPACT The first indication of campaign effectiveness was online. Facebook page likes increased by 171% after launch (exceeding the target by over 3,000). A retweet from David Coulthard reached a further 309,000 followers.

The advert was viewed over 55,000 times on YouTube.

The campaign launch generated 71 pieces of press coverage, giving a massive 83 million opportunities to see and a paid-for media value of £266,645. The ROI for this equated to £1: £17.

The tracking research revealed that 76% of the target audience spontaneously recalled the launch campaign, delivering emphatically against the objective of exceeding previous awareness levels.

Combining TV, cinema, radio and online awareness showed that 91% of our audience saw at least one of these messages.

Critically, 80% of our target audience agreed that you don’t have to be speeding to be driving too fast on country roads. An impressive demonstration of the efficacy of the campaign.

The field activity was equally successful.

86% of people who visited the stand recalled the message about adjusting speed in detail. 96% of visitors said they’d already taken action to modify their behaviour.9 The second phase of activity that September delivered equally impressive awareness levels with reduced media spend but added impetus from the SPFL/SRU partnerships. The SPFL partnership reached over 25% of Scotland’s adults10 and the SRU activity, 17%.11 Added to this was the satisfying coup of being the first ever non-homegrown film content on the SPFL’s YouTube channel.

A CAMPAIGN THAT SAVED LIVES Awareness and declared intention to act is one thing. Actual impact on behaviour is another.

It is estimated that one road death costs approximately £2 million.12 Scotland’s road fatalities and serious injuries continue to decrease year on year. Whilst this positive trend must be viewed alongside enforcement, legislation and design/engineering activity, a study was commissioned to attempt to quantify the precise effect of the Country Roads campaign.

This study conservatively estimated that the first phase of the campaign could have prevented a total of 46 accidents on rural roads, at a saving to the economy of £6.65m and an overall return on campaign investment of £15.01 to £1.

Reducing speed on country roads was the main message recalled with adjusting your speed to suit the road/driving conditions as the second most memorable.

“CAMPAIGN INVOLVEMENT AND MOTIVATION SCORES WERE UNPRECEDENTEDLY HIGH: 93% IN CONTRAST TO THE 2011/2012 CAMPAIGNS (82%/74% RESPECTIVELY), MAKING THIS THE MOST MOTIVATING SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT CAMPAIGN EVER.”

Tracking research, TNS-BMRB, May 2013.

1,301,564 adults in total (source: Stripe Communications, December 2013).

883,757 adults in total (source: Stripe Communications, December 2013).

12 Calculation based on a fatality occurring on a non-built up (i.e. country) road. Reported Road Casualties Scotland, 2011.

9

10 11