The Ad Council and U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced the launch of a new PSA campaign raising awareness about the dangers of buzzed driving, focused on reaching young men between the ages of 21 and 34. The new PSAs, produced in collaboration with independent creative agency Curiosity, is part of the Ad Council and NHTSA’s long-running campaign that has been working to prevent alcohol-impaired driving since 1983.
Despite decades of progress educating the public about buzzed driving, there is still work to be done. On average, someone in America is killed by alcohol-impaired driving every 39 minutes, according to the latest data from NHTSA. And in the latest available year of reporting, alcohol-impaired driving crashes claimed the lives of 13,384 individuals — a 14.2% jump from the previous year.
The new TV PSA, titled “Your Life Sounds Great,” encourages responsible driving behavior by highlighting how driving “buzzed” can result in devastating consequences for individuals and those around them. Using immersive audio and first-person glimpses, the spot uses vignettes of life’s simple, beautiful moments to remind viewers how buzzed driving can bring all of those moments to a screeching halt. The end of the TV PSA features the campaign’s tagline and reminds viewers that “Buzzed driving is drunk driving. Don’t drive buzzed.”
“The Ad Council has a longstanding commitment to alcohol-impaired driving prevention, dating back to 1983 with the release of the iconic Friends Don’t Let Friends Drive Drunk campaign,” said Michelle Hillman, Chief Campaign Development Officer of the Ad Council. “This new creative was designed to connect with our audience in a relatable, authentic, and emotional way to prompt young men to plan ahead and catch a sober ride instead of driving drunk. We’re thankful for our partners and their shared commitment to keep saving lives.”
“Every single person who has touched this campaign has felt the gravity of what we are trying to accomplish,” said Jane Manchester, Creative Director, Curiosity. “Our director, Matt Bieler of Magna Productions, said it best, “in advertising we always say, we’re not saving lives, but with this project we actually can.” I couldn’t agree more.”
“A buzzed driver is an impaired driver. This campaign supports our life saving mission of preventing tragedies on our roads by increasing awareness of the dangers of drunk driving,” said NHTSA Deputy Administrator Sophie Shulman. “This new approach to our messaging will resonate with all audiences and is a powerful reminder to not drive after drinking because – buzzed driving is drunk driving.”
The new campaign assets will be distributed across TV, radio, print, Out-Of-Home (OOH) and digital throughout the country in time and space donated by the Ad Council’s media partners.