Allianz's Personalised Playlist Encourages Better Driving

​Allianz Ireland and their creative agency Forsman & Bodenfors have leveraged Spotify to launch Seat Belters - an original concept developed by Forsman & Bodenfors and brought to life through Spotify’s unique streaming intelligence and insights. The initiative harnesses the power of music, science, and data to help improve road safety in a way that’s both culturally relevant and user-centric.

Research shows that only half of motorists are aware of how significantly music affects their driving behaviour. As part of their commitment to securing the future of drivers, Allianz joined forces with Forsman & Bodenfors to create a data-driven experience on Spotify that could encourage better driving.

As part of the creative campaign developed by Forsman & Bodenfors, an oddly perfect duo was cast: social media science star Emanuel 'Big Manny' Wallace and legendary Police drummer Stewart Copeland.

Together, they appear in a series of engaging spots that explain the science behind music’s impact on driving: songs at 80 beats per minute (BPM) or lower have been scientifically shown to promote calmer driving patterns and improved reaction times.

The 'Seat Belters' initiative, available now here leverages Spotify’s unique streaming intelligence to generate personalised playlists designed to promote better driving. By identifying tracks with a BPM lower than 80, the experience encourages a more relaxed driving pace, rooted in science-backed behavioural insights.

“Multiple studies show that music above 120 BPM can raise heart rate and encourage faster, more aggressive driving, said Mark Brennan, chief marketing officer at Allianz Ireland. Seat Belters uses music science to nudge people toward safer driving in a natural, engaging way. We’re proud to work with Forsman & Bodenfors to bring this to life on Spotify.”

“When Allianz challenged us to create something that could help improve driver safety, we developed the core idea for Seat Belters around the behavioural science of music,” said Damian Hanley, executive creative director at Forsman & Bodenfors Dublin. “With Spotify’s unique streaming intelligence, we transformed that idea into an experience that’s culturally relevant, innovative, and potentially life-saving.”

“Music provokes intense feelings. We know listeners get a mood boost when they tune into Spotify, resulting in a halo of good vibes for brands. With our focus on personalisation and discovery and a uniquely engaged audience, brands like Allianz can effectively reach their target audience of drivers with this important message around safe driving. I’m thrilled to see Allianz creatively leverage Spotify and the power of music for such an important and thoughtful campaign.” said Brian Berner, global head of advertising sales and partnerships.

Now live for Spotify users in Ireland, UK, Austria and Australia, the Seat Belters experience is an easy and engaging way to help build better driving habits through the music people already love. Explore your custom safe-driving playlist here. 

This collaboration reflects the power of original creative thinking, platform innovation, and purposeful brand partnership working in harmony.

See more from Forsman & Bodenfors here.