Campaign Spotlight: adam&eveDDB creates Drowsy Driver campaign for the AA Charitable Trust

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adam&eveDDB has created a powerful new campaign for the AA Charitable Trust, in a bid to slash the number of road fatalities caused by drivers falling asleep at the wheel.

In a 60-second film called ‘Drowsy Driver’ we see a man driving alone on a quiet road at night.

Out of nowhere, a pair of hands appear and start giving the driver a shoulder massage. Then more hands appear, this time gently rubbing the driver’s temples. The relaxing vibe then steps up a level, with incense wafting through the car, the heating going up and the driver getting a foot rub.

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Without warning the scene changes and we realise that the car is empty except for the driver, who has fallen into a slumber. The final scene shows the car drifting on to the wrong side of the road and ends as we see the headlights of an oncoming vehicle.

The payoff reads:

Don’t let tiredness creep up on you.

Stop. Take a break.

It was produced by Biscuit Filmworks UK and follows last year’s ‘Designated Driver’ campaign highlighting the danger of texting and driving, which was also created by adam&eveDDB for the AA Charitable Trust.

‘Drowsy Driver’ launches on 2 November and runs on the AA’s social channels. At the same time, the AA Charitable Trust is publishing a report which shows that one in eight (13%) UK drivers admit falling asleep at the wheel[1] and that up to 25% of fatal accidents are caused by drivers who have fallen asleep at the wheel[2].

The AA Charitable Trust is calling on drivers to be alert to fatigue, reminding them that if they find themselves winding down the window or turning up the radio that these are a symptom of tiredness – and not an effective remedy. Drivers doing these things need to take it as a sign they are too tired and need to stop at the next safe place; have two cups of coffee (or equivalent caffeinated drink) and nap for around 15 minutes.

The FIA Foundation part-funded the ad, and with the AA Trust have highlighted the dangers of tired drivers in the 3,500 Lives poster campaign, featuring French football star Antoine Griezmann advising ‘Stop when you’re tired’. Drivers are warned that, globally, tiredness related collisions are three times more likely to be fatal.

Edmund King, AA Charitable Trust director, said: “One quarter of fatal crashes are sleep related so drowsiness is one of the most underestimated risks on the roads. Awareness of the problem is the first step, which is why we have launched this campaign and briefed adam&eveDDB to create an ad highlighting the dangers and get across our key message – if you feel tiredness creeping up on you when driving then stop and take a break.”

Paul Billingsley, Managing Director at adam&eveDDB, said: “The terrifying thing about drowsy driving is how poor we are at gauging the severity of those first warning signs; it’s a death-trap to which we unwittingly surrender ourselves. We wanted to remind drivers how insidiously easy it is for sleep to creep up on us, and how vitally important it is to act well before things get to that stage.”

The Drowsy Driver ad can be viewed here: