These billboards have caught my eye. They are clever concepts. At first I thought it was a local public service campaign. But after further investigation I discovered the billboards are part of a national campaign for the Ad Council from Y&R New York raising awareness about reckless driving among teens. A good subject to talk about. There are a few things about the campaign that need work though. With the billboards for example, I couldn’t read the URL in the bottom left corner. While driving home one evening I focused in on the billboard determined to read the tiny URL. I got it, and nearly slammed into the car in front of me. That would have been ironic.
Unfortunately the Web site wasn’t worth the near-miss on the highway. Speakuporelse.com is easy enough to navigate. The problem is, however, there just isn’t much to keep anyone around for very long. The tone of the campaign is totally lost in the Web site copy. All you get is a very parental lecture about tire pressure and proper steering techniques. Considering the audience, I’m pretty sure that kind of approach will get a big FAIL from teens. The “viral” videos are especially disappointing. They try too hard to be zany and off the wall.
It’s too bad really. The outdoor executions are good, despite the small URL. I wish Y&R New York could have carried the tone from the outdoor work through the rest of the campaign.
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