In a recent article by Adweek, a new “Don’t text and drive” campaign from Ogilvy Beijing, Volkswagen was tested out on individuals in a local movie theater. The audience was drawn in by watching someone enter their car, turn up the radio, and begin driving down a long road.
The video was filmed in the driver’s perspective, making it look as if you were behind the wheel. While everyone was watching, someone behind the scenes sent a mass text message simultaneously to everyone in the audience. At which point, everyone’s phones began to ring and light up with a new text message, and as the audience went to reach for their phones, the car in the video crashed into a tree.
This campaign was meant to create a real life scenario, placing the audience in the perspective of the driver, and show how it only takes a second of being distracted to end up in an accident.
“Don’t text and drive” campaigns are everywhere, but what does it take to really grab someone’s attention and make them believe the dangers in distracted driving? Are campaigns with more “shock value” the true way to get people to listen?
What are your thoughts?