NZTA Calls For Second Ad Agency As It Steps Up Its Efforts To Reduce Highway Toll

The New Zealand Transport Agency (Waka Kotahi) is bringing in more advertising firepower to reduce road tolls in New Zealand.

The appointment of the advertising agency FCB Aotearoa comes after a commercial speech, understood
they have involved several major advertising agencies.

FCB will be responsible for developing and running a new public awareness campaign in 2021 to support the Government’s “Road to Zero” road safety strategy.

Sean Keaney, managing director of the agency’s Wellington branch, commented on the importance of helping to get this job done.

“We feel very privileged to have been selected to partner with Waka Kotahi on this incredibly important mahi and to engage with New Zealanders in the Road to Zero approach, and we can’t wait to get started,” Keaney said.

FCB has a long history of working with government clients, obtaining numerous awards for its efforts with companies such as Water Safety NZ, Fire and Emergency NZ in recent years.

The agency was also assigned to the Worksafe NZ account last year.

NZTA General Manager Karen Jones’ Engagement and Partnerships says the campaign will focus on raising public awareness of road safety and getting New Zealanders to buy into the strategies in place.

“On average, one person dies every day on New Zealand roads and seven others are seriously injured,” says Jones.

“Deaths or serious injuries should not be an unavoidable cost of traveling or making mistakes on the road. The Road to Zero strategy envisions a New Zealand where no one is killed or seriously injured in traffic accidents. It includes how we design the road network, establish safe speeds and make road safety decisions. “

The number of annual fatalities on New Zealand’s roads steadily dropped from 795 in 1987 to 253 in 2013.

Since then, however, there has been a steady increase, with the death toll rising to 378 in 2018.

Last year, there was a slight reduction, but the number still remained comparatively high at 353 deaths.

Despite Covid-19 and the impact of the closures, this year it is again looking to exceed the threshold of 300 deaths, with the current number of road deaths at 296.

The NZTA has increased its advertising and communications budget in recent years in an attempt to spread road safety messages.

Data from researcher Nielsen shows that the agency spent $ 21 million on advertising between November 2017 and October 2018, increasing to $ 30 million a year later.

Between November 2019 and October this year, NZTA has spent just under $ 33 million on advertising.

In recent years, NZTA has worked extensively with Wellington-based advertising agency Clemenger BBDO on a number of award-winning campaigns.

These include last year’s powerful campaign showing crude images showing immobilization injuries in those who survived thanks to seat belts.

Clemenger was also the creative force behind the iconic 2011 “Ghost Chips” ad, as well as 2013’s “Blazed As,” which was directed by Taika Waititi. In 2014, Clemenger also saw one of his slow-motion crash failures go viral on a global scale.

NZTA has emphasized that it will continue to work with Clemenger on its road safety publicity program, saying that this is a separate program focused on long-term behavior change for road users.

The difference now is that FCB will intervene to develop the “Road to Zero” strategy together with the work that Clemenger is doing.