Traffic conditions contribute to various stress-inducing scenarios. From traffic jams to unpredictable drivers, these situations can escalate heart rates. Elevated pulse rates often correlate with behaviors like speeding and abrupt braking, which in turn, make climate-friendly driving and emissions reduction a challenge.

The Challenge:

Neste, the world's largest producer of renewable diesel, wanted to help drivers maintain a steady heart rate, promoting climate-friendly driving habits.

How could we communicate our message to people behind the wheel? Well, through the only media drivers can focus on while driving: music.

Research reveals the profound impact music can have on human physiology. Specifically, it's indicated that the optimal beats per minute (BPM) to induce calm in drivers is between 60-80 BPM.

Building on this insight, we initiated an in-depth analysis of the busiest roads in Finland and abroad. The objective was to identify areas most prone to causing driver stress.

Leveraging our findings, we curated location-specific playlists. These playlists were designed to soothe and calm drivers with lower BPM music as they traversed these identified high-stress zones.

The tailored playlists were released on Spotify, granting easy access for all drivers. By harnessing the calming potential of music, we offered drivers a unique tool to enhance their driving experience and make strides towards reducing traffic-related emissions.

Through research we found out while listening to music can help reducing stress when driving, equally important is the music one listens. Therefore our key message was born; safe and environmentally friendly music can really be up to the background music. Our PR strategy had two key pillars to be relevant for the target audience of people behind the wheel in Finland and abroad. First, recent and locally relevant data was gathered and packaged for media. Second, the creative assets, the playlists were created to specific routes and areas in Finland and abroad. This was done to help the locals in those areas to adopt the playlists as their daily driving habits. To ensure environmentally friendly driving was the talk of the town, the topic was actively pitched to mainstream media.

Our campaign started with a study of Finnish listening habits, involving surveys and experimental tests to gauge how different music impacts listeners' pulse rates. This research yielded a crucial finding: the optimal tempo range for driving. Armed with this insight, we crafted playlists infused with calming music.

To make our campaign relevant, we scoured for the most frequented routes in Finland. Thorough route analysis pinpointed potential stress-inducing areas like major intersections and traffic lights. Leveraging this data, we meticulously curated playlists designed to deliver tranquility at precisely the right moments.

While playlists served as practical tools for consumers, our broader mission was to raise awareness about music's impact on driving. To achieve this, we engaged in PR activities, sharing our findings with the media. Moreover, during the launch week, the topic garnered significant attention on the nation's largest morning radio show, effectively capturing drivers' interest right from behind the wheel.

Our campaign allowed Neste and the topic to take the industry leader position in the leading top tier media in Finland and abroad gaining over 18,2 Million in earned media reach. In Finland the campaign and Neste were featured in leading nation-wide newspapers, regional and industry outlets and print magazines, and a segment in the leading morning TV show. The articles included in-depth interviews with Neste spokesperson, allowing them to control the narrative and strengthen their brand position and strategic goals. Outside of Finland, especially the media outlets in Baltic countries covered the topic widely, encouraging readers to take a look at the playlist created for a long distance driving route, Via Baltica, that goes across Baltic countries.

As a nice surprise, other automotive industry players also joined in on the conversation and offered their solution to the topic, citing Neste as the one to spark the conversation.

The impact also extended beyond earned media coverage. Our unique playlists resonated with the target audience, seamlessly integrating into their daily routines. Hundreds of individuals adopted our playlists as part of their everyday driving experience.