Evaluation of our recent pilot campaign ‘A Wee Walk Works Wonders’ finds 30% of adults in Renfrewshire, Moray and Aberdeenshire walking more for short journeys, instead of driving.
Our national walking campaign A Wee Walk Works Wonders ran in March 2024 and was designed to encourage Scots to leave the car at home for short journeys.
The colourful and engaging campaign highlighted the wide-ranging benefits of walking, from boosting physical and mental health, to saving money, to cutting climate emissions. These benefits were represented by four characters: a heart, a brain, a piggy bank and a planet.
More journeys on foot
The campaign characters and memorable catchphrase have encouraged Scots to walk more.
1 in 3 adults in the three target areas (Renfrewshire, Moray and Aberdeenshire) said they were choosing to walk instead of drive as a result of the campaign.
Meanwhile, 91% of those surveyed said the advertising caught their attention and 86% said they felt more motivated to walk instead of driving for short journeys.
Cutting costs and emissions
The increased number of walking journeys made as a result of the campaign is saving local residents an estimated £280,000 per month (equivalent to £3.4 million per year). The campaign is also saving a total of 152 tonnes of carbon per month, the equivalent of the amount of electricity used by 3,380 flats over the same period.
Campaign Manager, Susan Jeynes said:
“We were delighted that the campaign had such a large impact. Trying to change people’s transport choices is notoriously difficult, so we’re thrilled to have got 37,000 people walking more for short journeys.
“Walking for 10-15 minute journeys is a great way to incorporate exercise into your daily routine, whether it’s heading to work, the school run, the local shop or meeting friends.
“Following such great results, we are now exploring how we can roll out the campaign in other regions across Scotland.”
The campaign used a selection of adverts to get the message out across the regions of Renfrewshire, Moray & Aberdeenshire, including video ads on social media, community posters, radio ads and bus back advertising.
