Frequently asked questions

Prior to 1995, what road safety advertising took place?

The national road safety advertising and enforcement campaign started in its current format in 1995. Before this, any road safety advertising wasn’t structured and was done on an ad hoc basis. What became most different in 1995 was the intensity of the advertising – the television advertisements were on air all the time, 52 weeks a year not just intermittently.

The NZ approach uses a blueprint developed from the Victorian experience. What does this blueprint include?

The NZ Transport Agency blueprint sets an expectation of high recall and cut through for viewing audiences. It prescribes a research-led strategy at every step, from concept development to final production. It uses ‘branding’ to encourage drivers to buy-in to the road safety message, e.g. 'Slow down'. It expects to provide support to enforcement, and for enforcement to play a key role in reducing road trauma.

Essentially, our blueprint specifies the tone and manner of the communication, which:

• Invites the target group’s awareness, ownership and enforcement of the problem
• Presents realistic situations and people that the target audience can identify with
• Uses realistic treatment (nothing false, contrived, over-clever or arty)
• Is factual, using new ‘news’ to persuade people
• Focuses on the effects on the victims and their families and communities
• Includes as much emotion as possible, move people emotionally and rationally
• Is credible, convincing, not apologetic, personable, offers solutions
• Engages or triggers their anxieties/concerns
• Surprises as much as you like
• Ensures the message leaves people thinking 'this could happen to me/us'
• Ensures the message leaves people thinking 'I don't want this to happen to someone I know'
• Does not lecture, nor threaten with authority, nor play on statistics
• Places the message as coming from experts, victims and communities, rather than the Police or the NZ Transport Agency.

How are the key priorities of the campaign decided upon? Why don’t you focus on teaching people how to drive correctly, e.g. use of headlights or approaching an intersection?

Our advertising programme is prioritised according to risk; it focuses on changing road user behaviour rather than educating. The key priorities of the campaign were determined by the current Road Safety Strategy to 2010 and based off analysis of crash data.

How much money is spent on the advertising campaign each year?

The budget for the campaign is approximately $12 million per year. This funding supports a $255 million Police strategic enforcement programme.

What methods are used to make the advertisements effective?

We research and test all our ads with the people we’re targeting – from the first concept through to the finished product – to ensure our message is getting across.

We use crash data and attitudinal surveys to develop the advertising brief. This brief defines who the ads are for and the issues that need to be addressed so that each ad focuses on what will work for each specific audience. This includes the language that is used.

How do you decide what language to use in your advertising?

When an advertising brief is developed, it defines who the ads are for, which in turn defines what language is used. The vernacular in each advertisement is targeted to its specific audience so they can relate to it, e.g. our youth alcohol advertisements have used the taglines 'Be the sober driver and take one for the team' and 'If your mate's pissed, you're screwed'. These phrases are part of the everyday language that this audience tends to speak.

What process is used to produce a television advertisement?

We commission, research and sign off each advertisement using the following process:

• An advertising brief is developed using the latest research and crash data.
• Several concepts are developed from the brief and sent off for testing with the target audience. This testing will show what concept works best with them.
• The concept will be 'tweaked' and adjusted as necessary to ensure the audience gets the correct message and tested with them again.
• The advertisement is produced.
• The 'draft' advertisement is tested with the audience once it's been filmed to ensure that they still get the correct message.
• The advertisement will be finalised and go to air.

How do you decide when and where to run your advertisements?

We run all of our advertisements in the places and at the times at which the people we’re targeting are most likely to see them.

All television advertisements have an advertisement classification that specifies when they can screen. The Commercials Approval Bureau (CAB) uses over 40 different classifications to guide placement.

We select billboard sites where the target audience can clearly see the ads, in areas with maximum traffic.

All print advertisements are placed in publications according to the target audience.

What legislation do you have to work within when advertising, e.g. the Advertising Standards Authority?

We adhere to the guidelines of the Advertising Standards Authority’s advertising codes of practice. Scheduling our advertisements at appropriate times is important because of the graphic and highly emotive nature of many of our advertisements. This is especially important where children are concerned. The Commercials Approvals Bureau has the task of classifying road safety advertisements and recommending appropriate screening times.

How do you measure the success of your campaigns and over what timeframe?

We measure the success of our campaigns by changes in the attitudes and behaviours of the people we’re targeting and a reduction in crashes and injuries. We do this by using surveys and by monitoring crash statistics. In 2002 independent evaluations showed that our road safety advertising campaign had helped save more than 300 lives since it began in 1995. The latest survey of public attitudes shows that 35 percent of New Zealanders thought that our advertising should increase; 57 percent thought it should remain at current levels.

How well do the campaigns work?

Independent evaluations show that our road safety advertising campaign (in support of police enforcement) has helped save more than 300 lives since it began in 1995.

An evaluation of the supplementary road safety package July 1995 to June 2000, by M Cameron, J Guria and J Leung, published LTSA, November 2002.

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Last updated: 19 August 2009