The 2009 Jay Chiat Awards for Strategic Excellence Winners

Social Strategy—Silver:
Neiman Group, Philadelphia
"Full Apologies"

By understanding, without judgment, everything there was to know about how, where and why kids party, and by involving them in every step of the creative process, we were able to:

• Uncover a fresh solution to an age-old problem;
• Provide audience insights that enabled a conservative client to be bold;
• Engage an audience that wasn't just apathetic, but downright hostile to our message.

In Pennsylvania, the rate of teen deaths from driving drunk had not declined in more than eight years. By the time they reach high school, the "anti-" messages are not credible; they're completely discounted, and often mocked outright. Traditionally, these messages focused on personal impact, from DUI punishments to death.

We discovered that the most influential message had nothing to do with dying at all—it was
actually about surviving. The most powerful leverage was centered, not in their own mortality, but in the shame they would feel from having to face their friends and peers after maiming or killing a friend.

With less than $1 million total budget, we created a campaign that reduced teen DUI arrests and crashes, lowering major injuries and fatalities to their lowest rates in ten years.

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