Mobile technology advances continue to make our lives more convenient. However, that advancement often comes with a price, and that price could be your life. As the usage of smartphones and time spent on social media apps increases, so do the instances of distracted driving. On average, distracted driving kills nearly 10 people in the US every day.
While social platforms contribute to this problem, they can also help solve it. For Distracted Driving Awareness Month in April, the Ad Council partnered with Snapchat to launch an “I Won’t Snap & Drive” filter to raise awareness of the dangers of distracted driving.
What is Distracted Driving?
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) identifies distracted driving as any activity that diverts attention away from driving, including talking or texting on your phone, eating and drinking, talking to people in your vehicle, or fiddling with the stereo, entertainment or navigation system. As new technologies, platforms and apps emerge, there are an increasing number of ways to be distracted behind the wheel.
How Snapchat raised awareness of Distracted Driving
Snapchat created a custom animated “I Won’t Snap & Drive” filter that ran nationally to all US users as well as Snap’s top 10 markets globally – in that country’s native language. This was the second time Snapchat supported Ad Council’s Texting and Driving Prevention campaign - shedding light on the dangers of snapping and driving globally.
On April 21, Snapchat users shared the custom filter, which was available by swiping left, to pledge their support. The animated filter garnered over 2.4 million uses and reached nearly 60 million users within a 24-hour period.
"Sending a Snap is never more important than someone's safety,” says Global Head of Public Policy at Snapchat, Jennifer Park-Stout. “We are very grateful to be able to partner once again with the Ad Council to help spread awareness about the dangers of distracted driving."
Tips for creating your own Snap filter
We worked directly in partnership with Snap to develop this filter, however, anyone can create a Snapchat filter for their own cause or campaign. From our experience working with Snapchat, we’ve learned that the platform has many innovative ways to truly bring your message to life.
Here are some tips based off learnings from our “I Won’t Snap & Drive” campaign:
1. Use animation to catch attention
Animated filters on Snapchat are gaining popularity quickly. Compared to a static version of the filter we used in 2016, we noticed the animated version captured users’ attention longer – with an average play time of 24 seconds. We found that with the animated filter, it allowed more time for the message to sink in.
2. Tailor it to the Snapchat platform
To match our messaging to Snapchat’s platform, we changed our Don’t Text & Drive campaign messaging to I Won't Snap & Drive. Making the language unique to Snapchat’s platform creates a familiar user experience and helps drive the message home.
3. Expand to a global Audience
Distracted driving isn’t just a national issue, but a global one. Partnering with Snapchat made sense for this message because we could reach their 191 million daily active users and tap into their global audience. We delivered over 14 million impressions in France, a total of 5,750,422 million in Germany and 2,150,771 million in Australia.
A driver cannot drive safely unless their full attention is on the road. Any non-driving activity you engage in, such as using Snapchat while driving, is a distraction and increases the risk of a car crash. We are so thankful to have amazing partners like Snapchat that continue to help us spread awareness of the dangers of distracted driving and keep drivers and their passengers safe.