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**CONTACT:**

Ellyn Fisher David Swaebe Robin Mayer

The Advertising Council Mullen U.S. Department of Transportation

1964. 978-468-8932 202-366-9550

Ad Council and U.S. Department of Transportation Expand Focus of Drunk
Driving Campaign to Buzzed Driving

*PSAs feature new slogan -- "Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving"*

NEW YORK and WASHINGTON, D.C., December 28, 2005 -- After more than
twenty years of the highly successful "Friends Don't Let Friends Drive
Drunk" campaign, The Advertising Council and the U.S. Department of
Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
have expanded the focus of their Drunk Driving Prevention campaign to
target "buzzed driving." The new public service advertising (PSA)
campaign is launching today to coincide with the holiday season, a time
when drunk driving fatalities are at their highest.

Since the 1983 inception of the Drunk Driving Prevention campaign, and
its recognizable tagline \"Friends Don\'t Let Friends Drive Drunk,\" the
annual number of alcohol-related traffic fatalities has dropped
significantly. However, according to NHTSA, driving while impaired
remains one of the most frequently committed crimes in the United
States, killing one person every thirty minutes and affecting one in
three Americans. In 2004, over 15,000 people died in crashes where a
driver or motorcycle operator had a .01 BAC or higher and, of those,
nearly 13,000 involved crashes where the driver had an illegal BAC level
of .08 or above.

In continuing their efforts to prevent drunk driving, NHTSA and the Ad
Council have evaluated ways to extend the reach of the campaign, which
has been accomplished by focusing on individual responsibility in an
effort to reduce impaired driving. The "buzzed driver" is one who drinks
too much and drives, but does not consider himself a hazard on the
roadway or a drunk driver because he believes his drinking is
"moderate." The expanded campaign is designed to correct that
perception, by instilling the notion that if you are "buzzed," you're
too impaired to drive safely. It will inspire a dialogue about and
recognition of the dangers of "buzzed" driving and, subsequently,
motivate people to stop driving "buzzed."

"The Drunk Driving Prevention campaign is one of the most successful
campaigns in our country's history," according to Peggy Conlon, Ad
Council President and CEO. "Buzzed drivers don't equate themselves with
the drunk drivers that they would condemn, even though the statistics
show that their behavior can be just as dangerous. I am confident that
this new creative will continue to change the culture as it relates to
alcohol consumption and driving and communicate to buzzed drivers that
even a few drinks can have devastating consequences."

\-**more**-

Created by Massachusetts-based ad agency Mullen, the new television and
radio PSAs target men aged 21 to 34 because, according to NHTSA, 59% of
the nearly 13,000 impaired driving fatalities last year were people age
21-34, with the overwhelming majority of them men. The PSAs feature
people who are visibly drunk and should obviously not be behind the
wheel of a car, and then show people who are "buzzed" and may not
recognize that they are too impaired to drive. The ads conclude with the
tagline "Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving." To view the PSAs, please
visit
[www.adcouncil.org/campaigns/buzzed_driving/](http://www.adcouncil.org/campaigns/buzzed_driving/).

"This campaign is an excellent complement to the *Friends Don't Let
Friends Drive Drunk* campaign, and we're confident that it will be a
successful addition to our program efforts," said NHTSA Deputy
Administrator Jacqueline Glassman. "If we change the way people approach
driving after becoming 'buzzed,' by causing them to think twice, we will
save many lives."

The TV spots were distributed earlier this month in time to begin airing
this week as part of a holiday roadblock developed in partnership with
the Television Bureau of Advertising (TVB). The TVB is encouraging all
local broadcast TV stations to donate airtime for the new PSAs through
New Year's Day. A holiday roadblock for last year's Drunk Driving
Prevention ads resulted in participation from stations in 86% of
designated market areas. Furthermore, according to a Nielson study, 25%
of viewers who saw the spots that week said they spoke to a friend or
relative about drinking and driving,

\"The power of the campaign is that it basically ambushes the viewer,\"
said Michael Ancevic, Senior Vice president, Group Creative Director at
Mullen. \"Instead of preaching and pulling on heart strings, it behaves
more like an alcohol ad that you\'d see on a football game, but then it
catches you by surprise. We need to suck you in with laughter and then
make you feel that \"Oh man I\'ve done that\" lump in your throat. It
gets you thinking \"I really can\'t be that person anymore.\"

Per the Ad Council's model, the PSAs will air in advertising time that
is donated by the media. Since its launch, the Drunk Driving Prevention
campaign has received more than \$1 billion in donated media support.

###### [The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration]{.underline}

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, an agency of the
U.S. Department of Transportation, is responsible for reducing deaths,
injuries and economic losses resulting from motor vehicle crashes. NHTSA
investigates safety defects in motor vehicles, sets and enforces fuel
economy standards, helps states and local communities reduce the threat
of drunk drivers, promotes the use of safety belts, child safety seats
and air bags, investigates odometer fraud, establishes and enforces
vehicle anti-theft regulations and provides consumer information on
motor vehicle safety topics.

**[Mullen]{.underline}**

Mullen is a full-service agency and an independent brand within the
Interpublic Group of Companies. Mullen's client portfolio includes
General Motors, XM Satellite Radio, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts,
Stride Rite Children's Group, Progress Energy, TripAdvisor, Royal Ahold,
Turner Broadcasting System, LendingTree, 3Com, T.J. Maxx, Highmark Blue
Cross Blue Shield, Sealy and Wachovia. Headquartered in Wenham, Mass.,
the agency operates offices in Winston-Salem, N.C., Detroit, Mich. and
Pittsburgh, Pa. For more on Mullen, visit
[www.mullen.com](http://www.mullen.com/)[.]{.underline}

\-**more**-

**[The Advertising Council]{.underline}**

The Ad Council is a private, non-profit organization with a rich history
of marshalling volunteer talent from the advertising and media
industries to deliver critical messages to the American public. Having
produced literally thousands of PSA campaigns addressing the most
pressing social issues of the day, the Ad Council has effected, and
continues to affect, tremendous positive change by raising awareness,
inspiring action and saving lives. To learn more about the Ad Council
and its campaigns, visit [www.adcouncil.org](http://www.adcouncil.org/).

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