AUCKLAND, Today: Young drivers are being challenged to confront the social pressure behind speeding in a new NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi campaign, Speed Demons, created by McCann NZ, formerly FCB Aotearoa.
Instead of targeting individual behaviour, the work focuses on everyday moments that trigger speeding, from running late to tailgaters or pressure from mates.
Those pressures appear as dark, twisted creatures that push drivers to rush, turning invisible stress into something young people can clearly recognise and resist.
Rolling out across film and out-of-home, each Speed Demon represents a different pressure, delivering a simple message: don’t let anyone rush you.
The campaign reframes driving to the speed limit as “keeping your cool” and staying in control, even when facing tailgaters, back-seat drivers or the fear of being late.
“Young Kiwi drivers are heavily influenced by those around them. And while that’s a lovely truth into this life-stage, it’s dangerous when it comes to driving.” – Matt Kingston, Co-Chief Strategy Officer at McCann NZ
Launching nationwide in January, the work is backed by stark data, with 90 deaths and 581 serious injuries involving speed in 2023 alone.
Nearly one-third of road deaths involve people aged 18 to 24, with young New Zealanders almost three times more likely to die on the roads than Australians.
Emma Hartley, Manager Marketing and Content at NZTA Waka Kotahi says: “To shift an entrenched behaviour like speeding and speak to this young audience we needed to try something different.
The Speed Demons campaign is a departure from our traditional style of advertising but at its core is still trying to do the same job; change behaviour to reduce harm on our roads.”
Matt Kingston, Co-Chief Strategy Officer at McCann NZ says: “Young Kiwi drivers are heavily influenced by those around them. And while that’s a lovely truth into this life-stage, it’s dangerous when it comes to driving.
Our research revealed just how much pressure young drivers feel to speed from those on the road and in their car. We wanted to elevate the resistance of this kind of pressure to a position of confidence and power.”
“In a culture where rushing is normalised, saying ‘rush for no one’ is quietly rebellious.” – Leisa Wall, Co-Chief Creative Officer at McCann NZ
Leisa Wall, Co-Chief Creative Officer at McCann NZ says: “In a culture where rushing is normalised, saying ‘rush for no one’ is quietly rebellious. It gives young drivers a simple, confident way to opt out of pressure – without losing face.”
Senior creative team Tim Thach and Guy Perry say, “Speed Demons… No longer are they self-titled ‘cool guys’ that tear around town. Now, they’re terrorising pests and the cool ones are those who refuse to give in to their pressure. By handcrafting each Speed Demon and infusing human elements, they became both more relatable, and ridiculous – which was always the goal.”
Directed by Michael Hili and produced by FINCH, the campaign leans heavily into tactile, in-camera craft, using handcrafted creatures and miniature worlds to give physical form to social pressure.
Michael Hili adds: “I wanted us to create worlds that felt genuinely new – to take risks and make something that might even frustrate an older audience because it isn’t neatly explained. Work that feels handmade and cared for, with a bit of roughness at the edges – something that doesn’t let you instantly relax into “knowing” what you’re being sold.”
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