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Behind the Work in association withThe Immortal Awards
Group745

Your Shot: Blazed

18/09/2013
Production Company
Auckland, New Zealand
1.1k
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Clemenger BBDO combine kids & stoner humour for anti-drug driving campaign

We’re used to seeing some excellent anti-drink driving campaigns – harrowing, powerful, emotional. But the New Zealand Transport Authority had noticed that casual drug users were flying under the radar. Many so-called ‘sensible stoners’ are still quite happy to jump behind the wheel after a couple of joints. So the NZTA has been working with Clemenger BBDO to highlight the problem – and they’re using humour, not lectures. The latest ad, ‘Blazed’, is a work of comedy genius that hit the front page of Reddit earlier in the week. Directed by Curious Films’ Taika Waititi, there are pitch-perfect performances from its young cast and a beautiful, grainy monochrome look; it’s easy to see why it’s been such a hit. LBB’s Laura Swinton spoke to Clemenger BBDO’s Linda Major and NZTA’s Rachel Prince to find out more.

 

LBB> The ad combats the perception that being stoned makes no difference when driving - why do you think the so-called 'sensible stoners' have this perception and what is the key to persuading them to change their behaviour?

 

RP> They don't only think that being stoned makes no difference - a lot of them actually tell us that they feel they are better/safer drivers when they've used cannabis because they're more alert and drive more slowly.

 

The insight into this campaign was that people who use cannabis can 'buy' that they are potentially slower after using cannabis, so the campaign aims to seed the thought that their reaction times are slower when they're behind the wheel… and that's not ideal!

 

The children in Blazed provide observational insights [of their parents] that aim to get drugged-drivers to acknowledge that cannabis affects them behind the wheel.

 

LM> We ran a national poll in 2012 to gauge New Zealanders' perceptions and concerns about drug driving.  While most people thought drug driving was a problem, a third of people said it was safe to smoke cannabis and then drive.  Conversations generated by this activity revealed that cannabis users don't think they're taking a risk when they get behind the wheel.  They argue cannabis is harmless and they're actually a better driver – more cautious and chilled.  Many admit to driving more slowly when they're stoned. They believe they can handle their drug and their car, and their experience on the road reinforces this belief.  They're convinced they're much safer drivers than people who drive drunk.  

 

Some respondents pointed to research studies that concluded stoned drivers were less likely to be involved in a crash than drunk drivers.  In comparison to drink-driving, less is known about the extent of drugged-driving in New Zealand and the impact it has on road safety.   Some evidence suggests that drugs may be a bigger factor in crashes than officially reported, however there is a lack of empirical New Zealand research.

 

Drugged-driving is a complex issue.  Unlike drink-driving, safe limits cannot be established and it is difficult to enforce.  We knew we couldn't take a classic road safety approach of dramatising the consequences of a crash or getting caught, as this would not be credible without hard evidence. Instead we needed to unsettle people's confidence and seed some doubt about whether they're really as safe as they think they are when they use cannabis and drive.  

 

The key to persuading people to question their own driving was to get them to admit that cannabis affects them in some way – they do things slower than usual when they're stoned.  We needed to get people to then apply this to a driving scenario and acknowledge that their reaction time is slower and they have less ability to react quickly should the unexpected occur.  

 

LBB> When you approached Clemenger BBDO, what was the initial brief that you gave them? And when you saw this script from the agency, why did it appeal to you?

 

RP> We asked the agency to take the campaign to a level where people would keep talking about the issue of drug-driving. This was a new road safety issue for us to tackle [campaign originally launched in 2012] so it's still very new for the NZ public and we're still very much in the awareness raising phase. The brief was to specifically target people who use cannabis to get the issue on the table, and to get people debating the safety of driving after using cannabis.

 

The Expert Opinion and Blazed concepts appealed because they weren't finger pointing - they simply got people thinking. And of course they did this in a very humorous way.

 

LBB> What was the initial brief that you received? And what were your immediate thoughts?

 

LM> The brief was to get people to acknowledge that cannabis slows your reactions.  

 

The brief was great from our point of view.  The first stage of the drug driving campaign showed us that we needed to find something that people could agree with us on.  They had found many ways to argue that driving stoned wasn't a problem and staunchly defended their point of view that cannabis is harmless.  We had to be careful not to judge people for their choice. We had to tread a fine line between accepting the reality that people use cannabis regularly and not be seen (as the government) to condone it.   By focusing on reactions, we were able to play with the one thing people could accept is true, and find a way to get them to self-reflect. 

 

LBB> Why was humour the best approach to tackle the problem?

 

RP> It's a very new issue for us as mentioned above. We're at a point where people aren't aware or convinced it's a road safety issue at all - we have to get them to start to believe this before we can ask for any behaviour change. Humour is an acceptable and likeable way for us to sell this 'product' at this early stage.

 

LM> Humour is a great device for self-reflection because it's disarming.  People will quickly dismiss a message from the government telling them what to think or do, particularly when we're dealing with a sensitive and taboo subject like drugs.  Humour allows us to touch a nerve and show a truth that many people can relate to, without them getting defensive and rejecting the message outright. 

 

LBB> The campaign also draws from a child's perspective - what do you think this adds to the message?

 

RP> Parents care about what their children see in their own behaviour. They won't use cannabis in front of their kids but for some reason they find it ok to drive with them in the car after they've been using. Using kids to portray what they see helps parents see the reality of their own behaviour.

 

LM> Our creative approach uses kids as 'experts' in observing family members who drive under the influence of cannabis.  The idea came from an insight shared by Maori dads: they don't like smoking weed around their children. And yet they have no problem driving with their kids in the car after a session.  We wanted to draw attention to this inconsistency of thinking, and perhaps sow a seed of doubt in our audience's minds.  If it is bad to smoke weed in front of their kids, why is to OK to drive while affected by the drug?  

 

Again we were very mindful not to judge people for their use of cannabis.  But through the eyes of their kids, we could perhaps get them to reflect on what they're like when they're stoned.  

 

Audience testing of the finished ad confirmed that this is a powerful approach.  Responses from testing revealed that people felt sad to think that their kids see more about how it affects their behaviours and abilities than they do.  

 

LBB> The visual aesthetic of the campaign is beautiful  - how did you arrive at this grainy, monochrome aesthetic?

 

LM> The ad was purposefully shot on film (actually it was the last ever job to be processed on film at New Zealand's Park Road studios) in black and white to give it a more serious feel, and to make it stand apart as something that could be perceived as much as a short film as an advert. Black and white focuses the viewer on what the kids are doing, saying and how they are acting, rather than the background. That said, a lot of care and attention went into props like the cars - and the setting in general  - to make sure it was just right and would resonate with our target audience rather than giving them a reason to buy out because something wasn't believable.

 

LBB>  What did director Taika Waititi bring to the shoot?

 

LM> Taika is an extraordinary director with the ability to find amazing young talent, and get them to come across as natural in front of camera. A huge amount of time and effort went into finding the right kids – it was something that we knew would make or break the final ad. Taika was relentless in this regard. On the shoot he worked openly and collaboratively with the agency and client, and was highly approachable – something that really helps when you're working with kids. The talent really looked up to him, and his personal charm and spontaneity is a massive component in his creative process. The kids actively wanted to please him, and worked hard to get takes right even after a number of failed attempts. He also has a great talent for humour, both in terms of helping perfect script, and in the way he directed the body language of the kids and how they interacted with one another. This came through loud and clear in the final edit.

 

LBB> And in terms of the cast, who are they and how did you get these brilliant performances?

 

LM> The kids were pretty relaxed on the shoot. They reacted well to direction and were very professional. Julian Dennison is already a pretty well established actor having starred in a New Zealand movie called Shopping. Ruamoko (the kid wearing the rugby shirt) had never acted before, and neither had Te Ahorangi Retimana-Martin (the kid with the long hair). By the end of the day Julian was really tired, but he still had to do the final shot, which was the real crux of the ad, where humour turned to a more sombre reflection. It's a real testament to his skill as an actor and Taika's as a director that this scene came off so pitch-perfect.

 

LBB> What are the other elements of the campaign?

 

LM> Blazed is part of a broader campaign targeting cannabis users that uses a range of 'experts' who have regular contact with stoners and are able to observe their behaviour.  We're using their humorous insights into how cannabis slows people down to get drugged-drivers to question if they're really as safe to drive as they think they are.  

 

 

LBB> What response have you had from the public to the campaign so far?

 

RP> Since its launch last week Blazed has clocked up more than 500,000 YouTube views [and rising as you watch it], with 97% 'likes', and overall 95% of tweets, Facebook updates and comments have been positive.

 

Credits


Client : New Zealand Transport Agency
Advertising Manager: Rachel Prince 
Principal Scientist Strategic Directions: Paul Graham 
Senior Advertising Advisor: Victoria Slade
Agency: Clemenger BBDO
Executive Creative Director: Philip 'Duster' Andrew
Creative Director: Brigid Alkema
Creative team: Mark Dalton
Creative team: Mike Gwyther
Social Marketing Manager: Linda Major
Planner: Thomas Scovell
Agency Producer: Marty Gray
Account manager: Bethany Omeri
Media Business Director: Annabelle Wilkinson 
Media Account Director: Emily Goulden 
Maori TV Sales Executive: Toni Urlich
ProductionCurious Films
Director: Taika Waititi


Sound: Craig Matuschka
Sound Studio: Liquid Studios
Post production: Blockhead
Music: Peter Van Der Fluit

Credits