The drink driving message is a tough one to get through young minds and in Ireland, society’s attitude towards it is worsening. There is a a rise in the social acceptance of drink – 12% since 2019, according to the country’s Road Safety Authority (RSA).
Forsman & Bodenfors knows that horror images of car accidents are familiar and the agency aimed to remind Ireland that the drink driving issue involves protecting one’s friends. So it used a ghastly metaphor that can’t be ignored:
“Our latest drink driving campaign is proof that the most effective communication is simple, focused, and emotionally truthful,” stated Brian Johnson, lead strategic campaign development & partnerships, RSA. “Drink driving, like relationships, is complex, but the public doesn’t engage with complexity. They connect with one clear message that resonates instantly. This campaign delivers exactly that.”
The campaign appeals directly to the public to protect their friends, and other road users, by ensuring their friends do not drink and drive. Madhumita Chandrasekaran, planning director, Forsman & Bodenfors, stated, “As much as it is ultimately the individual driver’s choice to drink and drive, we wanted to highlight the important role their friends can play in helping to prevent drink driving.
“We stripped it back to a single, powerful insight and brought it to life visually, without overcomplication. In today’s noisy, distracted world, simplicity isn’t just effective, it’s essential. This work reminds us that saying one thing with clarity and impact always achieves more than trying to say everything.”
Credits:
Client: Road Safety Authority
Client Team: Sarah O’Connor, Brian Johnson & Annette Ferguson
Creative Agency: Forsman & Bodenfors Dublin
Executive Creative Director: Damian Hanley
Art Director: Laura Rice
Copywriter: Robert Mcbride
Planning Director: Madhumita Chandrasekaran
Client Service Director: David Power
Client Lead: Stephanie Urban
Designer: Alan Ruane
Head of Production: Brian Daly
Media: Spark Foundry
Production Company: Butter
Director:Zak Emerson
Producers: Michael Duffy & Glen Collins
Director of Photography: Piers McGrail
Coordinator: Rachel Smith
1st AD: Ciara McIlraith
Post Producer: Jen Connolly
Editor: Scot Crane
Stills Production: Eoin Holland Photography
Post-Production & VFX: Screenscene
Music & Sound: Butter
Arranger: Joseph Wilkinson
