Another drinking and driving campaign goes off course

Interesting visual concept. Execution is good. Strategy? The usual problems.

I won’t even link to that study on social marketing and “defensive processing” for the millionth time, but I will reiterate it: People do not tend to see themselves in negative or shameful portrayals in social marketing ads. Even an occasional drunk driver would look at this and say to him/herslf, “that’s not me, I know my limit when I get on the road.”

The problem is that alcohol abuse and driving are both behaviours that are associated with denial. The problem drinker may spend years denying the problem. And everyone thinks they’re a better driver than they really are.

Campaigns like these, in my tiresomely-repeated opinion, are not effective in curbing drunk driving. What they are good at is reminding people who don’t drink and drive how awful drinking and driving is. Nobody wants to see themselves in it.

The new philosophy, among people I know who study the problem academically, is to increase the probability of getting caught for the occasional drunks, treat the underlying condition with hard-core drunks (and do whatever you can to physically prevent them from driving drunk), and incent and normalize the simple act of speaking out socially against peers who do it.

Not the creative team’s fault, though. It’s the strategy that’s tired and busted, even though it means well.

See the rest of the campaign after the break.

Comments

Completely agree with you

Dear Osocio team

I have beaten my head into the desk so repeatedly over this that I’ve cracked the glass top.

Who can I get a refund from?

Now, seriously.  I mean, really….

LAZY people.  LAZY.

And that’s my professional opinion as someone who works in road safety…