THINK! has teamed with Kiss FM duo Rickie Haywood Williams and Melvin Odoom for its 2017 Christmas drink-drive campaign, which aims to get young people to encourage their friends not to drink and drive.
Launched today (7 Dec), the campaign runs until 1 January and targets young adults through a number of mediums including social media and radio.
As well as using their morning radio show to urge young adults to encourage their friends not to get behind the wheel after drinking, the pair of presenters will front videos for Kiss FM’s social media channels.
THINK! says the Kiss FM audience is almost a third more likely than the average person to enjoy a night out in a pub.
The campaign also includes a radio advert which will run in England and Wales, using the message “mates don’t let mates drink and drive”. The ad plays on the premise that friends will say anything to each other, except to stop them from drink driving.
THINK! has also teamed up with a number of partners including Arriva Buses, which is offering free bus journeys to either home or work the morning after a night out, and Budweiser, which is launching a new alcohol-free beer to coincide with the campaign.
Jesse Norman, road safety minister, said: “Driving even while below the legal limit is becoming increasingly socially unacceptable, with more and more people choosing to turn down drinking any alcohol when they plan to drive. But even so there are still some drivers who are willing to take the risk.
“Friends, colleagues and family members can positively influence those around them. So we are calling on them to stop potential drink drivers from getting behind the wheel and risking tragedy this Christmas.”
Rickie Haywood Williams said: “We feel we owe it to our audience to share such an important message. Me and Melv grew up together, we look out for each other and we want to spread the word to our listeners to do the same.”
Melvin Odoom said: “Rickie will always be there for me on a night out and vice versa. Drink driving awareness is something that needs to be out in front at all times. The campaign is designed to shine a light on the issue and we want to help us much as we can to stop people making the wrong decision.”
Police forces across England and Wales are also carrying out enforcement as part of the traditional festive drink drive campaign coordinated by the National Police Chiefs’ Council.
Category: Drink driving.
All this assumes the friends are themselves sober enough and responsible enough to give this advice to their friends in the first place. As an initiative, it could be as self-defeating as the slogan “drink responsibly” …drinking alcohol and ‘being responsible’ is, as far as I know, not an established link.
Hugh Jones, Cheshire
+1
Thanks Bob and Elaine, but I think Samantha’s problem is the same as mine….If I tweet information from the Dft’s excellent website most under 25s will not go any further. If I can retweet from Kiss FM, I will have a better chance of getting through to the target audience. I’ve just spent a short time on Kiss FM’s site and learnt a lot about the latest music trends, but nothing about drink driving.
Martin: Suffolk
0
Samantha – I think you can find some relevant information here?
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/christmas-drink-drive-campaign-uses-friends-influence-to-help-save-lives
Elaine Keeler Havering
0
Have a look at the DfT THINK website and the campaigns that they do or communciate direct with them for the info and material that you are wanting.
Bob Craven Lancs
0
Does anyone have a link to the advert/social media content that I can share on our facebook page and twitter please? I can’t find it. I’m probably too old to know where to look đ
Samantha Heard, Isle of Man
0
I agree. Nil by mouth for drivers is the only way to go.
Bob Craven Lancs
0