Ad Council
A night out with friends. A promising new relationship. Plans for the weekend. These are the things young people look forward to. They're also the things they put at risk when they decide to drive buzzed.
So how do we get guys to recognize what's really at stake when they get behind the wheel buzzed? By bringing their future along for the ride, showing them everything they stand to lose.
Most people know drunk driving is dangerous. But buzzed driving is a different story. A lot of them believe that if they feel fine, they're fine to drive.
Ad Council needed a partner to change that thinking by showing men ages 21–34 that even when they don't think they feel impaired, they're still putting everything they care about at risk.
The Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving campaign has run for 21 years, the same age as our target today. They literally grew up with it. So how do we get their attention in a new way that really resonates?
We started with a simple insight: young men are building futures they're excited about, but they don't always recognize how a single decision can put those futures in jeopardy.
Rather than focus on the consequences of getting caught driving buzzed, we wanted to make it feel more personal. By showing guys the people, plans, and moments they could lose, we made the risk of buzzed driving feel a lot more real – and closer to home.
To make the spot feel real, less like a commercial and more cinematic to appeal to young viewers, we called on Oscar-winning director of The Singers, Sam Davis, and his team at Reset Content to bring the idea to life.
Shot in one day on location in a bar and in the studio against an LED volume wall for all the driving scenes, we created a 60-second film, OOH, and audio that gives buzzed drivers an unexpected look at what's riding with them – their future selves, enjoying tomorrow's football game with a friend, or a movie night with someone they’ve just met. The film ends with a simple reminder: Don't leave your future behind. Buzzed driving is drunk driving.
The campaign also included a :30 spot, unique :15 and :06 social videos, OOH, digital display and audio.
