Beach Mode

Smartphones Can Be a Fatal Distraction

In Sweden, drowning is the most common fatal accident among children between the ages of one and six and is often the result of a lack of parental supervision. Parents are often by distracted by their smartphones, which make them focus on other things than their children.

Trygg-Hansa wanted to create an initiative that encourages parents to keep an eye on their children when by the water to prevent drowning accidents and created Beach Mode, an app that makes your phone completely inaccessible when you are at the beach with your children. No scrolling, no social media, no podcasts and no phone calls. The only feature that works is emergency calls. The unique app became a tool for talking about the importance of paying attention to swimming kids all over Sweden, via a campaign rooted in the insights.

A National Call to Action

The Beach Mode campaign was launched via a hard-hitting national video call to action showcasing the dangers faced when swimming without parental supervision and followed up with robust media relations rooted in a piece of national research examining the nation’s parental supervision habits. Child drowning and parenting experts as well as Sweden’s most followed mummy blogger added weight and human voices to the campaign.

Making the Difference

The initiative spread across Sweden, with fatal drownings among children in 2020 at 31% below average.

Following the launch of Beach Mode, several Swedish municipalities have now banned mobile phones from swimming locations. In addition, a large Swedish phone manufacturer is considering building the function into its phones.

15MM earned media reach

+500% increase in site visits