CEO Paul Corcoran and the Agent team joined Michael’s mother Frances in fighting to change the law in parliament, eventually winning the battle in 2019, as tyres aged 10 years and older were banned from lorries, buses and coaches on roads in England, Scotland and Wales.

Today, on the 12th anniversary of the tragic crash, Paul reflects on the Tyred Campaign, in memory of ‘beautiful soul’ Michael, and why it remains such an important milestone both personally and for Agent.

The Tyred Campaign was the piece of work of my life. 

On September 10^th 2012, Frances Molloy sadly lost Michael, her 18-year-old son, in a horrific motorway crash because of a 19-year-old tyre still being used. Michael, a talented musician, boarded a coach home to Liverpool from the Bestival music festival and never returned to his adoring family and friends. Michael died alongside two other passengers, Kerry Ogden, 23, and coach driver Colin Daulby, 63. 

Frances, the Molloy family, and, quite frankly, anyone who heard about the accident could not believe a tyre this old could be operating a 52-seater coach, regularly travelling across the country. Every tyre on board the coach was found to be dangerous. Even the spare was 14 years old.  

Yet through her tremendous grief and pain, Frances found the strength, supported by Steve Rotheram, then MP for Walton and current Mayor of Liverpool City Region, to take a campaign to government to change the law on old tyres and create a legacy for Michael. 

But unfortunately, Frances’ case was thrown out. And then it was thrown out again. In fact, it was thrown out many, many times to our shock and horror, and to the pain of Frances and her family. In total, the government rejected the case eight times. 

But they didn’t realise the motherly force of nature they were fighting against. With each knock back, each rejection, Frances fought harder. She fought harder than anyone I have ever known.  

It was 2015, three years after Michael died, when I spoke to Frances at the With Love From Liverpool concert, at the ECHO Arena, to raise funds for Syrian refugees. Agent volunteered their marketing and PR efforts for the concert, which eventually raised thousands of pounds for those in need. But another decision that night proved to be life changing. We opened the concert with Michael’s song, Rise and Fall, a beautiful and deeply moving piece of music.  

After the concert, Frances and I began talking about what she had been through and the fight she still had on her hands. After our conversation, I’d heard enough. I came back into Agent on the Monday morning and asked: “Who wants to get involved on a pro-bono piece of work?” I told the team there were no resources, and all we had was Frances’ love and devotion as a mother to drive us on. 

But that was more than we ever needed. Simultaneously, all the hands in the Agent office shot up. Everyone wanted to be involved, and we started immediately.  

Zoe Wallace, who is now our Partnerships Director, managed the campaign beautifully as we named the campaign Tyred, designed a logo, created a website and travelled up and down the country campaigning. We were the worst nightmare of every politician! 

Looking back, this campaign was so important for Agent because deep down, it didn’t matter whether it took four days or four months to win justice for Frances, Michael and the other families who lost loved ones that day. It was the right thing to do. It was the good thing to do. In the end it took four years, and this doesn’t consider Frances’ incredible work beforehand. But if it had taken 40 years, Agent would still have been standing alongside Frances, banging the drum and demanding change.  

And you know what? Eventually, together, we did it. Agent kept knocking until Tyred could not be ignored or rejected. Lives were at stake, and we made sure the government, media and public knew it. Finally, at the beginning of 2019 and alongside Frances Molloy and her family, the government made it illegal to fit tyres aged ten years or older to public service vehicles. 

When you are witnessing injustice, you must fight back ferociously with all the tools at your disposal. I had - and still have - such an amazing and diverse team of specialists and experts around me at Agent, but more than that, they fought for Michael, Frances and the Molloy family with all their hearts. As an agency, we were passionate and fearless. Every single member of our team contributed to this law being changed.  

The Tyred Campaign remains deep within my heart. It will stay with me forever, as will Michael’s wonderful legacy. I am so proud of the entire campaign, as not only did Agent help change a dangerous law, saving countless lives, but we put Michael’s music in front of thousands of people who had never heard it before. It truly is beautiful music from a beautiful soul.  

Since Tyred, Agent has remained committed to working with good businesses, good people and good organisations. Michael and Frances Molloy played an influential role in shaping this belief, ensuring powerfully good work, matched with kindness and compassion, are at the forefront of every single Agent campaign.