NZTA targets Drug Driving with controversial new campaign via Clemenger BBDO, Wellington
A controversial new campaign targeting Drug Driving has hit the airwaves in New Zealand.
Over four days last year, 147 people thought they were being driven to a ‘costume fitting’ for a TV commercial. What they didn’t realise was that their ‘drivers’ were actually actors who were pretending to be driving under the influence of a range of drugs.
The covert filming was carried out by the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), advertising agency Clemenger BBDO and production company Goodoil Films.
Directed by Matt Murphy, each of the actors improvised having recently taken one of four drugs: cannabis, prescription medication, party pills (Ecstasy), and hidden cameras in the vehicles captured all of the passengers actual reactions, which range from complacent, to nervous to angry. All of the participants appearing in the ads have given their consent to be used.
The campaign launched with a six week TV flight. The ads end with the tagline “Drug driving. Do you think it’s a problem?” The aim is that this will spur the debate and encourage the conversation.
14 Comments
Pills and Meds spots are bloody great.
likes the Pills
likes the Meds
think the Weed one trivialises the effect of cannabis…. so is this the “controversy”
yeah I saw the weed one first and didn’t pick up the full idea. They feel like mates.
The P one is def the strongest, but isn’t P pseudoephedrine (ICE). not pills.
Nice though.
Brilliant idea. Great reactions. However, the ‘weed’ spot is the weakest link and should have been dropped or have featured someone else. V cool though.
These look like and an execution looking for a strategy and an idea. The empty passenger seat looks dumb, there is no real suggestion of consequences, and the weed one is particularly lame. Every study of drink/drug driving confirms that fear of getting caught and perceived punishment are two essential ingredients and these have neither. Sometimes the creative team get so enthusiastic they sell crap convincingly. This looks like one of those occasions.
Love it, clever way to evoke genuine reactions to those situations.
i’m just a bit sick of ‘the audience is unaware’ trickery.
the weed one makes me wanna smoke and drive
Groucho – your dribble is a comment looking for a strategy & and idea…
@love it:: you still at Clems then?
I liked the execution. I like that they want you to discuss the issue with friends. The tagline could be a bit stronger. I think the weed one didn’t really work as well s the other two.
Spaceheads.
What were they on when they came up with this? I only watched the ‘weed’ spot and found it baffling, disorienting and confusing…hey…um…what were we talking about again?
Can’t wait for the cruise ship captain… of his course… on Facebook.