News Detail

Ad Council Launches New Campaign to Prevent Youth Reckless Driving

January 25, 2007

“UR the Spokesperson” campaign to empowers teens to ‘Speak Up’

WASHINGTON, DC – Car crashes are the number one killer of teens in the U.S. and The Advertising Council wants to put the brakes on this alarming situation. In partnership with a coalition of state Attorneys General and consumer protection agencies, SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) and AAA (American Automobile Association), the organization launched the UR the Spokesperson campaign today to save lives by reducing youth reckless driving.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data show that, on average, more than 300,000 teens are injured in car crashes each year, nearly 8,000 are involved in fatal crashes and more than 3,500 are killed. NHTSA research also shows that teen drivers are involved in more than five times as many fatal crashes as adults. Young drivers are more likely to speed, run red lights, make illegal turns, and die in an SUV rollover.

With the message “Speak Up,” the UR the Spokesperson campaign targets young adults between the ages of 15 and 21 and encourages them to be the spokesperson against reckless driving by empowering them to speak up when they are in the car with friends and don’t feel safe. Created pro bono by North Castle, a Stamford-based ad agency that specializes in reaching teens, the campaign also seeks to increase awareness about the dangers of reckless driving and educate teens on how to be safe drivers by focusing on safe speeds, avoiding distractions, wearing seat belts, and understanding the differences associated with driving SUVs. AAA will be assisting the Ad Council in these efforts nationwide through its clubs and SADD will be helping to spread the message by reaching out to its 350,000 student members.

The UR the Spokesperson campaign includes a series of public service advertisements (PSAs), a new Web site and a soon-to-be launched contest. The PSAs feature a stereotypical, smarmy, over-the-top spokesperson who appears in the car to deliver safe driving tips. The ads conclude with the message “There is no spokesperson to prevent reckless driving. There’s only you. Speak up.” For more information on the campaign and to see the ads, please visit www.URtheSpokesperson.com.

“We want it to become not only socially acceptable, but socially expected for teens to speak up when they are riding with a friend and don’t feel safe,” said Peggy Conlon, President and CEO of the Ad Council. “We also want to educate them about the dangers and consequences of reckless driving by reminding them to drive safely, wear their seat belts and limit distractions.”

Research shows that teen drivers may be more likely to listen to their friends than to adults, which is why the UR the Spokesperson campaign is using a peer-to-peer approach. When it is a friend who speaks up, a young driver will listen because they don’t want to damage the friendship or be labeled a bad driver.

“We knew from the start that a traditional message would never be heeded by this audience. We also recognized the daunting challenge of trying to impact a behavior that teens believe to be a right of passage – getting your license and joyriding with friends. But we also recognized that much in the same way that ‘One More for the Road’ gave way to ‘Friends Don’t Let Friends Drive Drunk,’ this assignment afforded us the opportunity to raise awareness, inspire action and ultimately save lives,” said Joe DePreta, Partner and Executive Managing Director, North Castle. “The strategy and resulting creative have tested well with the target audience and I am confident that this campaign has the potential to truly change a dangerous social norm.”

“This is a vital campaign that will empower teens to speak up when they feel their safety is threatened,” said General Thurbert Baker, Attorney General of Georgia. “Too often teens are worried about their reputation and that they won’t be ‘cool’ if they speak up. But they need to because it could be a matter of life and death.”

North Castle
North Castle, a Stamford, CT advertising agency with considerable experience in selling products to teens, has shifted its focus to selling values to teens. Through social marketing programs, the agency’s mission is to influence teen attitudes and behaviors across a variety of pressing topics. These include self-destructive behavior, educational achievement, the environment, family relationships and more. North Castle’s business shift reflects emerging trends in cause marketing, where marketers are looking for new ways to align brands with pro-social causes. In addition to reckless driving, the agency has a major undertaking on behalf of The Business Roundtable in Washington, D.C. for a marketing campaign to motivate teens in the subjects of math and science.

State Attorneys General and Consumer Protection Agencies
In 2002, a settlement was reached between the 50 states and the Ford Motor company that resolved allegations of deceptive trade practices relating to the sale and advertising of Ford sport utility vehicles. The state Attorneys General and consumer protection agencies were responsible for allocating the settlement money for public education campaigns, including $3 million for a youth-targeted public service advertising campaign.

The Advertising Council
The Ad Council (www.adcouncil.org) is a private, non-profit organization with a rich history of marshalling volunteer talent from the advertising and media industries to deliver critical messages to the American public. Having produced literally thousands of PSA campaigns addressing the most pressing social issues of the day, the Ad Council has effected, and continues to affect, tremendous positive change by raising awareness, inspiring action and saving lives.



Contacts:
Susan Jacobsen, 212-984-1919
sjacobsen@adcouncil.org