Tell us about your role in the creation of this work.
We created and developed the campaign drawing on research and insights from the Ad Council and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Give us an overview of the campaign, what is it about?
"Text & Whatever. Just Don’t Text and Drive." is the latest campaign for Ad Council and NHTSA's initiative to combat the all-too-common habit of texting and driving. The film itself is about a guy – who could be any one of us – who is glued to his phone all day, but still knows not to text and drive.
Tell us about the creative brief, what did it ask?
Most PSAs focus on the consequences of texting and driving, usually in a very graphic way. To stand out, we felt it important to come at this from a different angle and focus more on motivation than consequences. We deliberately took a more empathetic and light-hearted approach that ultimately reinforces the positive behavior of not texting and driving.
Which insight led to the creation of this piece of work?
The insight is simple…we’re all a little too obsessed with our phones, and that’s okay – as long as we’re not driving.
Can you share with us any alternative ideas (if any) for this campaign? Why was this idea chosen?
We had some more outlandish or unexpected ideas, but kept coming back to this one because it was the purest expression of the core idea. And we knew we could have some fun with it during production.
How did the client initially react to this idea?
It was the one idea everyone couldn’t stop talking about. Much like us, they felt the story was relatable and struck the perfect balance of tone and message.
What was the greatest challenge that you and your team faced during development.
Making sure our lead character didn’t come off like a jerk because he was on his phone. We wanted our character’s behavior to be authentic and relatable – not rude – and we were mindful of it throughout the process. With a talented director, some great casting, and relatable scenarios, we were able to craft a character and a story that hopefully make viewers think “That’s totally something I would do.”
What did you enjoy most about seeing this campaign through? Did you learn anything new from the experience?
We all became a little more aware of our own phone habits throughout the day. And we definitely always make sure to safely put away our phones before driving.
Where do you see this campaign going in the future?
Hopefully, texting and driving will soon become a thing of the past, and there won’t be a need to continue to remind people to not text and drive. Until then, we’re open to continuing to work with the Ad Council and NHTSA on future iterations of the campaign!