New Safe-Driving Campaign of the Czech Ministry of Transport

The new communication campaign of the Traffic Department was launched on 1^st October 2008, in order to reduce the accident rate on Czech roads. The 150 million CZK campaign consists of a series of TV spots, radio spots, printed ads, billboards, and Internet banners. The communication strategy with a slogan “Nemyslis – Zaplatis!” (If you don’t think, you’ll pay for it!) was prepared by an advertising agency Euro RSCG and will be run until the end of 2010.

The campaign has raised a wave of public interest, especially because of the controversial realistic nature of the TV spots, where blood, injuries, and death are openly shown. According to Ales Rebicek, Minister of Transport, the aim of the Traffic Department is to show the real and drastic face of road accidents. The short movies are appealing to drivers’ conscience through depiction of real tragic emotions; no jokes or detractions are employed.

During December 2008, the precautionary campaign of the Ministry of Transport has won in two inquiries of the Czech major specialist magazines about advertising. Firstly, it became the Winner of the Month, in the category of outdoor advertising in the weekly Marketing & Media. Secondly, it was ranked first in a list of the best TV spots in the weekly magazine Strategie.

So far, four TV spots and five radio spots have been launched. The target audience consists especially of young people, 18-25 years old. The TV spots have been titled Manager, Provoking, Bride, and Madhouse. Even though they are in Czech, they would be comprehensible even without words. The spots deal with the most risky behavior, such as calling, smoking, or provoking while driving, as well as with the issue of child car seats. The radio spots are called Friday Weekend, Sunday Weekend, Morning Peak Hour, Early Evening Peak Hour and Alcohol and present real bitter testimonies of victims and culprits of the car accidents.

You can watch all four TV spots in the attached video file, in order as follows: Madhouse, Manager, Bride, and Provoking.

More info at:
Nemyslis – Zaplatis! Official Website

List of References:

Nemyslis Zaplatis – Vsechny spoty!. (2008). Youtube – Broadcast Yourself. Retrieved January 6, 2009, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otgH6sFECoM

Press Section. (2008). Nemyslis-Zaplatis! Official Website. Retrieved December 25, 2008, from http://www.nemyslis-zaplatis.cz/press.html