A roadside traffic sign in Texas looked as though it was not working most of the time. The screen did not turn on for drivers travelling above the speed limit, but it suddenly lit up when the radar detected a car moving at the permitted speed.
Instead of another warning or reminder about a fine, messages appeared such as “Obsessed with your safe driving,” “Way to drive a fast car slow” and “You understood the assignment.”
That was the idea behind The Slow Sign, an activation created by insurance company Lemonade in partnership with creative agency Cash Studios. The pink mobile sign was placed at locations across Texas, including the Austin area, connecting the promotion of car insurance with a simple company idea: safer drivers pay less.
The radar registered the speed of every vehicle, but the screen with a compliment was reserved only for those who obeyed the limit. The personalization was not fully automated. A crew member positioned further down the road communicated the colour and make of each car over a radio, after which the corresponding message appeared on the sign.
The creative team chose Texas because of its high number of traffic crashes and speeding tickets. According to research cited by the agency, only around ten per cent of drivers in the state obey the speed limit. For the remaining ninety per cent, the sign stayed dark.
Writing the messages also introduced a very specific creative limitation. Each compliment had to fit within a maximum of 48 characters, be short enough for drivers to read while passing and maintain a tone that was both earnest and slightly playful. Other messages included “Breaking the stereotype one MPH at a time,” “Absolutely gorgeous speed choice” and “We would insure you, just saying.”
The sign was not installed without prior preparation. Cash Studios secured permits from local authorities for the activation and considered the device’s position, road visibility, glare from the LED panels and the safety of the crew.
The idea relied on an approach that had already been tested in traffic. Research has shown that radar speed displays can slow vehicles down, while negatively framed messages can sometimes draw too much attention and increase the risk of crashes. Signs previously used in Finland showed drivers a green smile when they obeyed the speed limit, and the reduction in speed continued even after the signs were removed.
The Slow Sign turned the same logic into a branded activation. Beside a Texas road, the pink screen lit up only for the rare cars that were not in a hurry, giving drivers a few seconds to see that an insurance company had just caught them driving well.
