Did you think ‘Mistakes’ was the most arresting point of view a bunch of creatives could give drinkers? Think again.

It’s the silly season, where ‘silly’ describes the repetitive behaviour of drinking too much then trying to drive home. Clemenger BBDO has targeted young men in its 2014 silly season safe driving campaign for NZTA.

And to target young men, creatives Mark Dalton and Mike Gwyther, wrote an ad around two old men.

To make that work as hard as a great script could (and this ad has a great script), the creatives who co-wrote Blazed called on Finch director, Patrick Hughes.

The ad, Local Legends, aims to get people in the wider community to pick up the responsibility of stopping those who’ve drunk too much from getting behind the wheel of a car. Both the dialogue and the direction had to be perfect. This could have been a ho hum ad. Or worse, it could have seemed contrived. It’s neither.

The old men are endearing. Their awkwardness feels real. Their decision to act seems natural. The young driver’s response seems authentic. Most importantly, the story has the right amount of flesh added. It’s not a morality tale. It’s a story about “the folks next door”. It’s power lie in its ability to be personal for every viewer.

“It’s fair to say nobody likes having these conversations. It’s the Kiwi way to mind your own business. We wanted our characters to overcome this barrier, and do something for the greater good. But we certainly didn’t want them to like it. It’s the very fact that they’re uncomfortable – but intervene anyway, because they know it’s the right thing to do – that makes them Legends,” Dalton and Gwyther commented.

What is Clemenger BBDO’s secret formula for making award-winning ads for NZTA for the last five years? It understands the brief: “For us to get our audience to buy into the message we have to portray a realistic situation. If you gloss over it or exaggerate it too much, they switch off and say ‘that’s not for me, it’s not relevant’…it’s not our place to judge what they’re doing. But it is our job to stop them from jumping in a car in an impaired state.” [Rachel Prince, advertising manager, NZTA]

Creative credits:

Advertising agency: Clemenger BBDO Wellington


Executive creative director: Phillip Andrew

Creatives: Mark Dalton
 & Mike Gwyther

Head of TV: Martin Gray

Production company: Finch

Director: Patrick Hughes

Producer: Karen Bryson

Executive producer: Rob Galluzzo

D0P: Jeremy Rouse

Production designer: Guy Treadgold

Editor: Drew Thompson

Online: BERYL

Colourist: Pete Ritchie