the rail ritual - kiwirail nz

90% of people have at least one superstition and will put themselves through the most elaborate and illogical actions in the hope of avoiding something bad happening. There’s no doubt, superstitions are powerful levers on human behaviour but they are also mostly completely ineffective. Imagine if we could harness that power and turn them into something useful instead ­– something that might actually save lives. 

In the months leading up to Rail Safety Week, a superstition that did just that conveniently emerged across the internet. The superstition prompted people to blow to the left and right across each shoulder for safe travels before they crossed rail tracks, surreptitiously giving them a chance to look for trains at the same time. A coincidence. Of course. Mostly.

By the time Rail Safety Week arrived, the superstition had already been embedded into culture, popping up everywhere from influencer reels to Wikipedia. So, KiwiRail seized the moment, riding the superstition’s pre-seeded coat tails and endorsing it throughout Rail Safety Week. 

The unorthodox approach soon caught the eye of media and politicians, thrusting the superstition and its covert safety message even further into the spotlight. Not only did this generate huge campaign awareness, more importantly, it cemented the superstition as part of New Zealand’s culture around trains, creating lasting behaviour change that would help save lives well beyond Rail Safety Week.

Want to read some of the blogs/websites that we seeded the superstition on?