NZTA targets Drug Driving with controversial new campaign via Clemenger BBDO, Wellington
A controversial new campaign targeting Drug Driving has hit the airwaves in New Zealand.
Over four days last year, 147 people thought they were being driven to a ‘costume fitting’ for a TV commercial. What they didn’t realise was that their ‘drivers’ were actually actors who were pretending to be driving under the influence of a range of drugs.
The covert filming was carried out by the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), advertising agency Clemenger BBDO and production company Goodoil Films.
Directed by Matt Murphy, each of the actors improvised having recently taken one of four drugs: cannabis, prescription medication, party pills (Ecstasy), and hidden cameras in the vehicles captured all of the passengers actual reactions, which range from complacent, to nervous to angry. All of the participants appearing in the ads have given their consent to be used.
The campaign launched with a six week TV flight. The ads end with the tagline “Drug driving. Do you think it’s a problem?” The aim is that this will spur the debate and encourage the conversation.
14 Comments
From the agency that bought us ‘ghost chips’, something nowhere near as good.
snore
very cool.
all this tells me is that if i’m wasted i should keep it to myself
Potheads don’t say those things or act like that. How out of touch can you get?
Whenever I got stoned I always opted for Salt and Vinegar Kettle Fry’s to settle my inevitable attack of the munchies. I also liked to wash it down with a nice strong cup of tea. If I was still hungry, I then used the remaining chips and made a chips’n’cheese sandwich, sometimes even with a thick layer of Vegemite for the added salt.
Ahh…the good old days.
This is really selfish use of taxpayer money. I’m sure the brief was wanting to combat this common issue between friends and family. All this does is create a rare, totally manufactired situation that no normal person would ever be confronted with. When it’s a friend or a family member who is drug driving it’s a completely different dynamic. Much harder to deal with and this rubbish doesn’t help anyone with that problem. They’ve all just got together with our money and tried to win an award and they won’t even do that.
Just don’t believe the performances.
The acting is like people in bad movies act when the are being ‘stoned’. Comes across as contrived and manufactured.
Great work Clems Welly.
Love the idea of sparking a conversation.
Hope that people listen.
Looks like one BBDO agency desperately trying to do work like the other one and not even getting close.
10:24 is bang on. I didn’t believe any of the situations or the performances.
The only thing I would disagree with them is that they’ll spin the hype tape to make it look like it worked.
Should’ve given it to Draft to do; they are doing everything else, they do this sort of thing better than anyone.
These ads are much better if you’re stoned when you watch them.
wow, sorry… came to comment here, but just popped a pill. feel really weird
Why do people leave stupid remarks like most here. The point to this campaign is to promote awareness of the fact that driving under the influence of drugs is not ok, just ike the ‘ghost chips’ ad is to promote awareness of not drinking and driving.
The problem with that ad though is that people aren’t focusing on the message of not drinking and driving as intended, rather, they are focusing on the humour of ‘ghost chips.’