The campaign developed by Reichl und Partner on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Transport, Innovation and Technology (BMVIT) is intended to contribute to greater safety on Austria's roads. Under the title "Steer your own destiny", the dangers of inappropriate speed and its consequences are pointed out.

The core objective of the road safety campaign, which will run from fall 2016 to spring 2017 in all media channels, is the prevention of traffic accidents due to excessive or inappropriate speed. Middle-aged men are particularly at risk. They often rely too heavily on their driving skills as well as the technical sophistication of their car.

"It is often our 'home route' that tempts us to drive too fast. We are unfocused, distracted, with our thoughts already at home... The consequences can be fatal. Our campaign aims to make it clear that it is important to always drive 'with a head'. This is the only way to be aware of your surroundings and adapt your speed to the prevailing conditions," explains Karin Buemberger, creative project manager at Reichl und Partner.

Presentation of the 2016/17 road safety campaign "Control your own destiny"
(from left to right Dr. Othmar Thann, Jörg Leichtfried, Michael Piber)

Re-enactment of the infamous moment of shock

The TV spot takes the viewer on a ride that starts out innocently enough. However, a glance at the driver's watch shows that he is in a hurry to get home. The navigation system already suspects that life will be turned upside down (literally) in a few hundred meters if the man behind the wheel does not adjust his speed to the road conditions in time. The drama culminates in the well-known moment of shock, which the viewer experiences acoustically and thus emotionally experiences the consequences of inappropriate driving.

All advertising materials are accompanied by the call to action "Adapt speed - on all roads!" . In print, the main causes of unfocused and subsequently inappropriate driving are made the subject of discussion: time pressure, overestimating oneself, and the "autopilot" effect. In addition to television, billboards and advertisements, there are also two radio waves designed to reach the target group via car radio - directly on the spot, so to speak. The campaign is supplemented by accompanying social media activities.

"The entire campaign was developed taking into account the latest traffic studies. The results of the EU project CAST (Campaigns and Awareness-Raising Strategies in Traffic Safety), which provides fundamental findings for communication in connection with road safety, have also been incorporated," says Michael Piber, Managing Director of Reichl und Partner, explaining the approach to the concept and hoping that the campaign will lead to a rethink in the core target group.

Take a here take a look at the entire campaign.