‘Stop driving like a wee baaam’: gran returns with clear message

09.06 | 30 October 2020 |

A new closely-targeted advertising campaign has been launched in Scotland to raise awareness of the potential dangers faced by young male drivers travelling on country roads.

Statistics show around 7,000 people were killed or seriously-injured while driving on country roads in 2018. Two-thirds of those killed were men – while 40% of those killed or seriously injured were aged between 22-49 years.

Devised by the Scottish Government and Road Safety Scotland, the latest phase of the #DriveSmart campaign urges young male drivers (20-29 years) to prepare for the unexpected and slow down on country roads.

It features the return of the cheeky, straight-talking Gran character, who has been a central character in a number of recent road safety campaigns in Scotland.

The campaign includes a ‘humorous and thought-provoking’ video, highlighting speed and other potential hazards on country roads that can turn even a familiar journey into a potentially fatal one. 

Gran appears from a young man’s crashed car to give him the appropriate dressing down following a lucky escape.


The campaign will run across a number of relevant channels for the audience including TV and catch up TV, cinema, digital and audio/radio platforms.

Online ads will feature on a variety of websites and social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube. The world of gaming will also be targeted with adverts appearing within games such as Grid and Football Manager. Adverts will also run across Spotify and around podcasts.

Michael Matheson, cabinet secretary for transport, said: “Sadly, country roads continue to make a significant contribution to both deaths and serious injuries in Scotland, so we must continue to raise awareness of the potential dangers faced by drivers travelling on them. 

“This new campaign strikes just the right balance of humour while delivering an incredibly important message, so it is sure to stick in the minds of our target audience of young male drivers.

“Country roads are notoriously unpredictable and, with so many potential distractions both within and outside the car, it’s absolutely crucial drivers prepare for the unexpected and slow down when travelling on them – no matter how well they think they know the route. 

“We’ve had great success using Gran to deliver these messages, so we’re pleased to welcome her back for this campaign too.”


 

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