Case Studies

Case Study

Client: Operation Lifesaver, Inc.

Market: Safety Education

Project: PSAs on distracted driving

I.    The Client 

Established in 1972, Operation Lifesaver is a national, non-profit safety education group whose goal is to eliminate deaths and injuries at railroad crossings and along railroad rights of way.

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II.  The Challenge 

To produce a series of creative PSAs from concept to completion to discourage distracting behaviors while driving, with a particular emphasis on texting-while-driving.  The campaign’s main goal is to reduce distracted driver collisions, fatalities, and injuries.

Target Audience:  Drivers throughout the country especially 16-34 year olds.

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III.  The Solution 

Henninger Media wrote, shot and produced two 30-second spots, where in one spot two young men ignore safety, demonstrating high-tech toys while driving. The other spot features two young women texting and talking about dating while driving on a busy highway leading to a rail crossing. The creative was shot in Thurmont, Maryland, and post-production took place at Henninger Media in Arlington, Virginia.

Distribution Media:  Television/Cable, Internet, and Radio including a Spanish language audio version.

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IV.  The Results 

The shoot posed a number of unique challenges, from controlling trains and temporarily closing roadways, to shooting outside in unusually cold weather. The hard work of the Henninger Media crew, the Operation Lifesaver staff, their contacts with the railways, and the town of Thurmont allowed the filming to come together without a hitch.  The campaign aired over a five-year period and was seen and heard in key markets throughout the country specifically in the West—WA, OR, ID, MT, UT, the outlying Chicago market, the Midwest-Ohio market, North Carolina, Tennessee, and in Alabama.

Awards:  Won a PRSA (Public Relations Society of America) award for Best PSA.