“At least they didn’t drive”—Scholz & Friends uses humor to raise awareness about the dangers of drinking and driving
The Federal Ministry of Transport (BMV), the German Road Safety Council (DVR), and its lead agency, Scholz & Friends, are using humorous visuals to raise awareness about the dangers of drinking and driving, just in time for New Year's Eve.
At the turn of the year, the advertising agency Scholz & Friends and the Outdoor Advertising Association are joining forces for the first time to send a clear message against drunk driving. As part of the #mehrAchtung initiative, the new visuals for the “Runter vom Gas” road safety campaign will be displayed across nearly all digital advertising spaces in Berlin on December 30 and 31.
Under the headline “At least he wasn’t driving anymore,” the visuals depict typical situations in which people under the influence come up with absurd, bizarre, or borderline funny ideas. The humor is not meant to trivialize the issue, but rather to offer a deliberate shift in perspective: No matter how foolish the depicted situation may seem in itself—the crucial, life-saving decision was to stop driving.
The campaign is part of the #mehrAchtung initiative by the Federal Ministry of Transport and the German Road Safety Council. It addresses road users on an equal footing and focuses specifically on relatability rather than deterrence.
Drinking and driving is a major risk, especially on New Year’s Eve: According to statistics from traffic accident research, alcohol-related traffic accidents occur at an above-average rate around the turn of the year—often with serious or fatal consequences.
The campaign addresses this reality and translates it into a modern, accessible visual language.
Marielle Wilsdorf, Partner and Creative Director at Scholz & Friends, says: “What I like about the idea is that it makes you feel caught. Presumably, everyone has been in a situation where they’ve done something foolish while under the influence of alcohol. That’s human—as long as you don’t get behind the wheel. It’s bold for a federal ministry to take this realistic, humorous approach. The motifs come directly from the target audience’s everyday reality, and that’s precisely why they’re effective.”
The media partners also highlight this special collaboration:
“This important message has its full impact on digital city information displays in public spaces. Wherever people are on the move, they are informed and immediately prompted to reflect. We hope that the medium can thus help make our society safer,” says Kai-Marcus Thäsler, CEO of the Outdoor Advertising Association.
The visuals are also being shared simultaneously on the social media channels of the #mehrAchtung partner alliance.
In conjunction with this, the Federal Ministry of Transport is reaching out to the public with a direct appeal to the community:
“When alcohol is involved, leave your car, e-scooter, bike, and scooter at home. Happy New Year and have a safe trip home! Thank you for showing #mehrAchtung even amid the New Year’s Eve festivities.”
The campaign is part of the long-term road safety initiative “Runter vom Gas,” which has been developed and implemented by Scholz & Friends since 2008. It supports the German government’s Vision Zero and is aimed at approximately 70 million road users in Germany.
Credits
Agency: Scholz & Friends Family
Management: Lars Cords, Marielle Wilsdorf
Creation:
ECD: Barbara Dirscherl, Michael Winterhagen
CD: Finnja Skornia, Martin Gillen, Francis Cazal
Copy: Jennie Lidell, Nina Hansen, Alina Wegener
Art: Kay Owe Tiedemann, Sophia Stendebach, Renan Reck, Sven Burnard, Jan Lederer, Jona Hausig
Consulting: Victoria Kohlhaus, Mark Glasow, Michael Schulze, Christian Ringlepp, Sandra Ziegenbalg, Dominique Riedel, Marie List, Sabrina Lenz, Alina Beneke, Divya Gaba, Maik Berbalg