16 Dec 10

Drink Driving and the power of ambient media

by Ambient Media Champion, James King

We can all recall gory, spine chilling road safety commercials on TV. The one with the sons face smashing against his mother’s skull or the group of young guys with the Pizza, are ones that stands out for me in particular.
 
Often these advertisements are made with the simple objective to shock you into taking on board their message and think about the consequences the next time you decide to not buckle up, drive too fast or worse have a few drinks before you step behind the wheel.

Often I tell myself “I’m in a hurry, let’s put the foot down” or “its only up to the shops I won’t bother with the seatbelt”, both of these points in many ways are seen as trivial to us and even though we have seen the advertisements several times the realism that it might happen to us is something that doesn’t set seem to filter through to our reality.

One message that we are all in union with is that you should NEVER drink and drive, yet there are people who continually run the gauntlet with their lives and the lives of others on the roads. Bearing in mind that after several decades of blood stained windscreens, ran over dummy children and spilled Pizza some people still continue to put themselves and others at risk to avoid a taxi fare home.

Have we seen it all before? It’s no secret we live in a society that’s more dangerous and violent than ever before. We have more access to disturbing content available through the internet, cinema and the TV. Where once we had Angels with Dirty Faces, we now have the Sopranos. Guts and Blood just don’t cut it anymore.

Many groups around the world are catching onto the fact that they need to bring the shock factor out off the Sofa and into the real world. They are deploying a wide range of off the wall and controversial ambient opportunities to increase the shock factor off the chart and bring innovative ideas to demonstrate the consequences into the cold light of day.
Here are a few examples of great ambient advertising to combat Drink Driving around the world.

To commemorate the World Day of Remembrance for road victims Transito Amigo commissioned a vehicle delivery truck loaded with wheel chairs to drive around the main cities in Brazil to raise awareness of the dangers of Drink Driving.

In Blumenau, Brazil it was important for the local road safety organisation to make drivers aware of the dangers of drink driving. As the audience wasn't responding to traditional media, the organisation created a forecourt akin to car showrooms, however, instead of featuring new cars, crashed cars were put on show to demonstrate after affects of a car crash.

The European Charter for Traffic Safety commissioned 10,000 air fresheners in the shape of the traditional Magic Tree fresheners to be given out to drivers in petrol stations across Romania. The tree shows the impact that a driver could have if hitting a tree displaying a simple message “This Christmas, don’t drink and drive”.

To warn its population of the dangers of drink driving the council of Curitiba, Brazil placed chalk stencil skid marks on roads outside busy bars, nightclubs and restaurants in the City Centre. The creative gave the impression of a car skidding into the bar. The creative read “The City Government can replace this lamp post but not a life, don't drink and drive”.

This advertisement was used to warn drinkers in Brazilian bars about the consequences of drink driving. This scene gives the audience a reminder that drink driving can cause serious accidents which can result in death of paralysis.