National Delay Day directly appeals to the public to slow down while driving - by delaying real-life events people usually rush to. Apart from the symbolic delay of Prague’s Astronomical Clock, delaying major events like the national football cup, theater plays or university classes generated response from TV news, press, social media, and influencers, as well as major companies and the wide public who organically joined the initiative and postponed their own schedules.

9 out of 10 Czechs are speeding regularly. Speeding is responsible for 40 % of fatal car accidents. 43% of people admit they are speeding in order to make up time. Driving 10 kph over the speed limit is a widely accepted social norm, while being late is considered an unacceptable social faux-pas. What people necessarily don’t realize is that speeding doesn't create any significant time savings, while the risk of fatal accidents grows exponentially. Speeding is a deeply ingrained and dangerous behavioral pattern in the Czech Republic, and the goal of the Czech Insurance Association is to drive behavioral change in order to make the roads safer.

• Brief: The brief from ČAP - the Czech Insurance Association - was to raise awareness about the dangers of unnecessary speeding and to encourage people to slow down on the roads.

• Objectives: To reduce the number of accidents caused by speeding, encourage people to slow down while driving, and remind people that a few minutes of extra time on the road is not worth risking their lives and the lives of others.

• Situation: Traditional PSA campaigns do not work well. After years of traditional “scare” campaigns, speeding is still responsible for 40 % of fatal car accidents every year. That's why we decided to change the conversation from speeding… to time: the missing time Czechs try to make up for in their cars.

To fight speeding, we introduced the National Delay Day - a day when people are allowed to be late, in exchange for more road safety. We invited institutions like schools, football clubs, theaters, celebrities and commercial companies to participate by delaying their events and schedules by symbolic 13 minutes. The delay of the Prague Astronomical clock (which hasn't been delayed for 600 years of its existence) emphasized the message to the public: “If the most famous timekeeping machine and most world famous landmark of Prague can be late, so can you”.

• Data gathering

86 % of Czechs speed regularly. Speed is responsible for 40 % of fatal car accidents. 43 % of drivers admit they try to make up for missing time. We calculated that the time they save by speeding +20 kph on average on a main highway between the biggest Czech cities is only 13 minutes on a route that usually takes 2 hours. A time-risk transaction that is not worth it.

• Target audience (consumer demographic / individuals / organizations)

All driving population for whom “being late” is not an option and consider saving time by driving over the speed limit worth the risk.

• Approach

Allow them to be 13 minutes late for one day, in order to take a holiday from rush and deliver the message through channels they cannot miss.

• Call to action

Slow down before it's truly late

Delayed events from various areas - sport, culture, education - which attracted attention of the public, media and influencers, and drove organic participation of commercial subjects, allowing people to be delayed.

Week before, announcements flooded through radio, social media, and influencer channels. On April 3rd, a delay of the Astronomical Clock started the day. Morning company meetings, university classes, and radio broadcasts were postponed. Partners like gas stations, bike rentals and more joined in with "slow down" promotions. Influencers persisted with reminders on social media. National football cup and theater shows were postponed. In the evening, the initiative gained coverage on major TV news.

Delayed events, where people have the tendency to rush to. Precise targeting towards drivers through traffic broadcasting, social media, and brand partners.

30+ commercial brands, 50+ pieces of content from influencers, organic coverage on 3 biggest TV stations, press and the biggest radio networks.

• Response rate

178 media releases with earned media worth 10 million EUR

5 million impressions from influencers

7.5 million impressions from social media

16 million impressions from promotional video

• Change in behaviour

Number of accidents caused by speeding dropped by 10 % in the week directly following the National Delay Day.