Leith has created a new experiential road safety campaign for the Scottish Government.
Inspired by gaming, the live experience sees people play a reaction-timer game to measure their speed. First they play “sober” and then repeat the challenge wearing drink and drug simulation goggles, so the scores can be compared.
Built on the Real Roads Don’t Reset films, which blurred the worlds of console play and social reality to show that while games can be replayed, real life cannot. It was aimed at young make drivers aged 17-25 – because research showed that traditional road‑safety messaging had lost impact on this group.
To encourage participation, anyone who beat the top “sober” score won an Uber voucher.
“To make young road users sit up and pay attention, we wanted to meet them where they spend a lot of their time – video games,” said Leith creative team, Debbie Morgan and Neil Mackinnon.
“For us, the key was making that world feel as nuanced and recognisable as possible. The more we could make young drivers feel immersed in that world, the bigger the impact would be when we brought it back to reality.”
Following completion of the game, brand ambassadors initiated behaviour‑change conversations with participants. This was organised by Smarts PR who employed influencer Gully Singh to conduct post‑game interviews.
READ MORE – Hard-hitting Scottish campaign urges drivers and pedestrians alike: ‘Keep Your Mind on the Road’
The activation took place across pubs and stadium concourses across Scotland, including at the Rangers FC Fanzone, where over 350 people took part.
“Too many young men still feel invincible behind the wheel,” added Maria Solarin, Senior Marketing Manager at The Scottish Government.
“This campaign shows that one reckless choice can have permanent consequences – real roads don’t reset.”
