No Second Chances
Golley Slater
Client: Transport for Wales
This project would be great news for everyone…well, apart from teenage boys, that is. Before 2022, there were on average around 1000 cases of teenagers trespassing on railway lines around the valleys every year. Usually this involved young lads mucking about, daring each other to run across tracks. Now, teenage mischief is inevitable– but this particular mischief results in an average of 15 deaths a year. And that’s before any electrification. With OLE rolling-out, Transport for Wales needed to communicate the increased risk of trespassing – with 25,000 volts of overhead electricity, what was once a fun game might be the end game for local teenagers. Our campaign went where most people don’t want to go – into the minds of teenage boys. We uncovered what drives their appetite for risk and how best to curb their enthusiasm for danger. Rather than focusing on safety messages, we piggy-backed on stuff that interested them – namely social media and the world pre-loved clothing. Our ‘No Second Chances’ campaign delivered hard hitting messages through fake fashion ads, a popup shop and a roadshow. The campaign was a huge success. Awareness of the new track electrification shot up by 17% in a few weeks and 2024 saw a 23% drop in trespassing vs 2022.