Drive Dry, previously known for its award-winning scare campaign ‘Papa Wag Vir Jou’, will be using the power of storytelling in 2017, to try and change South Africans’ behaviour towards drinking and driving.

At an event attended by government, stakeholders, media, and celebrities, guests were shown the reality of drunk driving by watching real stories of South Africans who have experienced loss, trauma, hurt, and difficulty due to driving while under the influence, either due to their own actions or those of a loved one or a stranger.

These individuals were captured on film telling their stories and these will be made into a series of short clips to be shared with media, as well as on social media during 2017. 

“Our overall goal is to impact and change people’s lives by using real stories to give the campaign resonance. We have also approached celebrity ambassadors who are passionate about driving dry to spread the message far and wide,” says Diageo SA’s legal and corporate security director, Viwe Soga.

According to the WHO Global Status Report for 2015, South Africa is ranked 23rd out of 50 African countries for the highest number of road deaths. The report also estimates that 7.8% of South Africa's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is lost due to road traffic crashes. This lost revenue could be used to address South Africa's other social issues, such as lack of funding for tertiary students.

South Africans Against Drunk Driving (SADD), a non-profit organisation based in Pietermaritzberg, recommends solutions such as an increase in random alcohol testing, the establishment of specialised drink-driving courts so that offenders are tried and convicted within one month of the incident, as well as for every driver to be tested for alcohol or drugs at every crash scene.

“Our mission is to stop drunk-driving, protect families from the trauma of losing loved ones and in doing so, to make a tangible difference to South Africans’ lives,” says Caro Smit, founder of SADD and guest speaker at the 2017 Drive Dry campaign launch event.

The Drive Dry video clips will be rolled out over the next year and used across various media platforms, as well as for visual content at Diageo branded and partner events, school visits as part of a drive to educate the youth, and at tavern workshops.

“This is going to be an incredibly powerful campaign, and we are honoured that our storytellers have agreed to share their stories in the hope of changing someone else’s life. Responsibility, and looking after the communities in which we operate is key to Diageo’s business. Our brands are made with pride and are only to be enjoyed responsibly,” says Soga.

You can watch a compilation of the videos here. 

For more information, visit www.diageo.com. Alternatively, connect with Drive Dry on Facebook or on Twitter.