Do not let your Tequila face be your last!
Drunk driving is a huge problem in South Africa. According to the Road Traffic Management Corporation Driver Intoxication and Fatal Crashes Report, published March 2020, The contribution of alcohol intoxication, along with human behaviourial risk factors are estimated to contribute to 90% of road traffic crashes.
Further to that a report by the World Health Organization, shows that 58% of road accident deaths in South Africa involved alcohol, making us the world’s worst country for drunk driving. The truth is, most South African drivers know that alcohol impairs driving ability and even with the implementation of Zero Tolerance – why don’t we take this seriously?
Arrive Alive, South Africa’s leading road safety authority together with intergrated brand and communications group Joe Public United, embarked on a shock-tactic campaign that drinkers would not be able to ignore. Based on the insight that your #TequilaFace is the same face you would pull the moment before impact in a car accident, the campaign visuals and tone aimed to surprise viewers, with the scary warning, Don’t Let Your #TequilaFace Be Your Last, making them consider their mortality when choosing to drink and take to the wheel.
“The aim of the messaging is to bring awareness to the facts and the severity of drunk driving in our country and the lack of responsibility drinkers take when they choose to drive. We want to get people talking and questioning their behaviour by encouraging citizens to pledge on the campaign website tequilaface.co.za to never drink and drive. We want to help drinkers establish more responsible habits and empower those who pledge with a means to enjoy a night out and get home safely. The statistics around drinking and driving are shocking and we want to use that same appeal to land responsible drinking decisions,” says Megan Perks, Executive Creative Director, Joe Public United.
The multi-phased anti-drunk driving campaign, which aimed to captivate consumers, spark conversations and drive awareness, launched on the 23rd of March. For a surprising twist, the campaign launch included the rollout of a new tequila brand called Vida õ Muerte, which means life or death in Spanish.
The new tequila rolled out across social media, digital and billboards, with engaging messages that called for consumers to share their #TequilaFace. The agency partnered with threebrand ambassadors, actress Anele Ney Zondo, influencer Moshe Ndiki, and rapper Chad Mansoor to bring the campaign visuals to life and connect with party-goers.
“Our ambassador’s #TequilaFace images have been altered to reveal the same #TequilaFace in a car accident visual. Not only is this idea a creative and conceptual way to gain talkability in today’s attention economy but it also shows the need for crafted digital content that is unforgettable and imagery that evokes emotion and deeper meaning,” adds Megan.
The creative captures that moment between life and death. Even the tequila bottle itself exposes its dark side; using a UV light a hidden message is exposed to further highlight the life or death choice each of us face when we go on a wild ride and drive drunk.
