Let’s get kids to stop texting and driving.
When Partizan Entertainment invited us to pitch the creative assignment for Oprah Winfrey’s NO PHONE ZONE public service campaign, we knew we faced stiff competition. We also knew there could be no better judge of emotion in advertising than Ms. Winfrey.
We resolved right away to avoid the lurid shock value of many PSAs in the category. Scary commercials grab people’s attention, but they also trigger a protective reflex. (We call it the “it can’t happen to me” effect.)
Instead, we endeavored to share the experience of texting and driving — to put the viewer behind the wheel and show how, even while watching the road, they simply cannot drive safely when they are distracted by their phone.
Every year, 6000 Americans die because they — or other drivers — think they can call or send texts while they drive. But sometimes 6000 voices cannot be heard as clearly as the silent heartbreak on one grieving mother’s face.
Winning this assignment, and producing the spots with Harpo Productions, Partizan Entertainment, and film director Lisa Cholodenko (The Kids Are All Right) was a one-month marathon from concept to completion, to meet the deadline of April 30 — NO PHONE ZONE day.
(from left) Karen McIntyre and Florence Buchanan (FnK), Keisha McClellan (Harpo Productions), Lisa Cholodenko (director), Laura Morris (producer).
