Dread and Shock Used in Canadian Drunk Driving Commercials

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Like the emotion felt while watching the UK Department of Transport cell phone ad, these ads, which have been floating around since late 2005, from DDB Canada for the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia’s long-running CounterAttack don’t-drink-and-drive campaign fill one with dread. Following the same sudden-shock approach the UK DOT ad used, two of the three commercial feature kids in a car driven by a drunk and a third features a guy talking about the negative aspects of drunk driving. All three ads have endings that while somewhat predictable, still shock. The ads are said to begin airing this summer. See all three here.

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Steve Hall

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