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The video clip starts off innocently enough – a few middle-aged men looking somewhat dishevelled are talking about what they’d like in a partner.
“I like a really nice, pleasant body,” one says.
“These hands will never let you go,” another adds, almost sweetly. Then the camera starts to pan out and we see where the men are – in jail. You realise they’re prisoners – and the partner they’d like to meet is actually a fresh face joining them in their cell.
Suddenly the men’s comments take on a sinister tone and at the end the camera zooms in on a gruff, toothless inmate. “Pappa wag vir jou [Daddy’s waiting for you],” he says menacingly.
The goosebump-inducing advert is from alcohol producer and marketing company Brandhouse. The company is behind brands such as Windhoek, Amstel, Johnnie Walker and Captain Morgan, and its latest ad – being aired on TV, radio, online and in print – to stop drink-driving is causing a stir.
“Although many people think drink-driving doesn’t make them a bad person we want them to see their actions can be bad and they can end up in prison with genuinely bad people,” explains Phumza Renqge, Brandhouse’s corporate social responsibility manager.
“Our research tells us even if people drive when they’re over the limit they don’t believe anything will happen to them. People may be shocked by this campaign but we want them to understand drink-driving has consequences.”
Five years ago Brandhouse launched the South African Drive Dry campaign and previous ads have focused on how innocent drinking can lead to death. But this is the first time they’ve shown what could happen to the drunk driver who gets behind the wheel.
They decided to focus on the fear element this time because men often say one of their biggest fears is going to jail and being sexually assaulted there, Renqge says. An online survey by News24 and Brandhouse revealed 88 per cent of the 1 500 respondents who took part voluntarily said the fear of being arrested and sent to jail encouraged them not to drink and drive.
SAB also hopes their billboard, TV and print campaigns will reduce the number of drink-driving incidents this festive season. They have set up alcohol-testing centres all over SA where you can be tested to see if you’re over the legal limit of 0,05 grams per 100 ml of blood.
CLICK HERE for the Drive Dry campaign on YouTube or copy and paste this URL in your web browser to access the clip https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JWUXXXJq8k
Read the full article in YOU, 16 December 2010.
