The Ad Council and NHTSA’s Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving campaign is teaming up with recording artist Hunter Hayes to spread the word that people should be aware of their buzzed “warning signs” to avoid drinking and driving.
Every individual has their own personal signs — like taking too many selfies or texting an ex — that indicate that they are impaired and shouldn’t drive.
New PSAs feature Hayes in a relaxed interview setting as he reflects on his personal buzzed warning signs, reiterates the importance of finding a safe way home after drinking, and discusses the meaning behind his songs “One Shot” and “Heartbreak.”
“Just like in my song ‘One Shot,’ once you start drinking you don’t always make the best decisions,” said Hayes. “That’s why I know my buzzed warning signs. When I see one of these signs, I call a car or a friend instead of getting behind the wheel.”
According to the latest traffic data from NHTSA, over 10,000 people in America died in alcohol-impaired driving crashes in 2017. Men were more than four times as likely as women to be the alcohol-impaired driver in a fatal car crash. The national Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving campaign calls on young men to recognize their buzzed warning signs and make the decision to not drive after drinking.
“Whether or not you’ll drive buzzed is a decision you can only make for yourself — but once you’ve been drinking, your judgment is already impaired,” said Lisa Sherman, President and CEO of the Ad Council. “As a young man himself, Hunter is the ideal person to share this message and remind his fans to plan ahead to avoid driving drunk or buzzed.”
The PSAs were created pro bono by media and creative agency OMD Create, leveraging their model of planning media strategy and developing creative work in tandem, and produced with production companies Hyfn and Rodeo Show. The work was created on behalf of the Ad Council and NHTSA, as the latest in the ongoing series of national PSAs reminding viewers that “buzzed driving is drunk driving” and to call a car, cab or friend for a safe ride home when they spot their own buzzed warning signs.
