Tolling company eFlow has launched a three-month radio campaign reminding motorists to pay their M50 tolls before the payment deadline and encouraging them to register for automatic payments.
“Cancel the Countdown” was developed by IRS+, the Audio Intelligence and Creative Network, with its creative and strategic partner FOE.
The campaign runs from June to August and airs from Thursday to Sunday on Dublin radio stations Radio Nova and Sunshine.
A series of 20-second radio stings counts down the time motorists have left to pay their M50 tolls. Drivers must make the payment by 8 p.m. on the day after their journey to avoid additional penalties.
The campaign also encourages motorists to register for video tolling, which automatically records journeys and removes the need to remember the payment deadline.
The activity is concentrated around the weekend travel period, when traffic volumes on the M50 are typically at their highest.
Darren McGivney, marketing lead at eFlow, said the campaign builds on the results of an earlier collaboration with IRS+.
“We’re delighted to be running ‘Cancel the Countdown’ again with IRS+ for the second time and capitalising on previous successes with them,” McGivney said.
“The campaign does exactly what we want in terms of messaging, speaking to the right audience in the most engaging manner and at a time of maximum impact.
“It serves both as a reminder to pay tolls and, better still, to sign up for our mobile app and simply pay automatically.”
Peter Smyth, chief executive of IRS+, said the campaign demonstrates radio’s ability to deliver time-sensitive messages to motorists while they are in their cars.
“Our eFlow work is a good example of a uniquely time-sensitive campaign built on the principle that the most effective reminder is one delivered at exactly the right moment,” Smyth said.
“Radio’s unique strength is its presence in the car, exactly where and when M50 toll decisions are made.”
He said the campaign was designed to become more urgent as the deadline approached, while also providing motorists with a longer-term solution.
“By aligning the message with the precise hours when the payment window was closing, IRS+ transformed a public information brief into a genuinely useful service for listeners.
“The countdown mechanic created urgency without alarm, and the eFlow account registration call to action provided a clear, permanent solution. Job done,” Smyth said.
