Start Here
The Brief
Your Mission: Create a video ad, a radio spot, or a design for a billboard ad to encourage safe driving.
Your Audience: Young drivers who are new to the road.
Your Topic/Brief: Stop distracted driving, specifically phone use while driving. In a world where we regularly stay connected through technology, drivers don’t always realize when they shift into distracted driving. We need to remind them that distracted driving is dangerous.
A lot of distracted driving prevention creative uses scare tactics or preachy messaging that addresses the consequences of messaging while driving (crashes or death), but we want you to address what motivates people to think they can safely use their phones while driving.
Please note that you should not include logos or branding – or mention logos or branding – in your video, billboard design, or radio spot. Before applying, be sure to review the FAQ and Official Rules.
Why: To prevent serious car crashes and deaths.
Contest Guidelines & Info
Select a contest below to view specific details on entry guidelines, judging criteria, and best practices. Before applying, be sure to review the FAQ and Official Rules. You may apply to multiple or all contests as long as the entry follows all guidelines and requirements.
To enter any contest, you must be a high school junior or senior between the ages of 14 and 20; or a full-time undergraduate college student between the ages of 15 and 25. If you are under 18, your parent or legal guardian must sign an eligibility form (we will contact you).
Video
Guidelines
- No entry will be accepted with footage of a person ACTUALLY using their phone while driving. This includes but is not limited to, sending a text message, messaging via an app, commenting on photos, scrolling through social media, creating content, etc. (see FAQ for more info)
- Videos are limited to EITHER exactly 10 seconds or exactly 25 seconds
- All persons (even animated characters or objects) must wear seat belts.
- Avoid all branding in submissions, even in the background of footage (product logos or store logos, like McDonald’s or Starbucks.)
- Make sure voices can be clearly heard if using dialogue.
- If filming from a smart phone, shoot footage horizontally.
- Film should be your personal creation; do not use stock video or photos.
- To ensure this, please use the following guidelines while filming: The use of a consumer or “prosumer” camera, preferably high-definition (HD) quality; Film resolution for all footage must be at least 720 x 480; if an iPhone or some form of a flip camera is used, shoot footage horizontally, not vertically; Overall, please select the highest resolution possible with any camera used.
Note: Please keep all your unused video footage taken during the making of your film. If you are the winning entry, the Ad Council will need the footage in case your video is turned into a broadcast quality PSA. We will also add on a 5 second end frame to make the full video 15 or 30 seconds.
For a full list of rules, please read the Official Rules.
Judging Criteria
- Ability to capture the attention of others, specifically, the attention of your peers.
- Persuade others to alter driving habits. Your film must resonate with teens and young adults and move them to action.
- Clarity of message – it must be understandable and well-structured.
- Creative expression – put your personal stamp on it.
- Video should be of good production quality.
Inspiration & Best Practices
Make sure your video is:
- 10 or 25 seconds in length.
- Shot horizontally (if using a smartphone).
- Has clear and understandable audio or music, if applicable. You can also preview music available for download (see FAQ).
- Accurate. If you use any statistics, use those available on NHTSA’s Distracted Driving Page (see FAQ). But please note that you don’t have to use statistics to drive your point home!
- Original. Do not use any design elements that are not of your creation (stock photos, emojis, Apple or other branding, etc.). Avoid (or blur) all branding in your submission You can use existing design elements that are not of your creation as inspiration, but do not copy or use them directly in your work.
Billboard
Guidelines
- Designs must be a horizontal image
- Designs must be original
- Designs may not include road signage or any color/font schemes that imitate official road signals or traffic direction or may be confused as such
- Designs must not use any design elements that are not of your creation (stock photos, emojis, Apple branding, etc.)
- All persons depicted in designs (even animated characters or objects) must wear seat belts
- If you are taking a photo to use as the visual in your design, please be sure that you are using the highest resolution possible on your camera/phone since the final design will be scaled to billboard size.
- You can create your own message or tagline but remember to keep overall word count to around 7 words or less.
- Do not include a logo on your design; if your submission is selected as the winning entry, we will add the appropriate logos.
Please use these design specifications for creating your work:
- Follow the technical specifications for Clear Channel Outdoor Digital Bulletin Production
- Art Pixel Dimensions: 400×1400 pixels
- Color Mode: RGB
- File Type: Uncompressed JPG, but we’ll need the native files you used to create your design (Photoshop, Illustrator)
- Spec artboard layout available for download here
- Outdoor Design Guidelines
Note: If your entry is selected, your work may be turned into a professional public service billboard by the Ad Council and could be shown on billboards across the U.S. courtesy of Clear Channel Outdoor. Please keep all your artwork files; if you are the winning entrant, the Ad Council and Clear Channel Outdoor will need your native files to turn your artwork into a professional billboard.
For a full list of rules, please read the Official Rules.
Judging Criteria
- Ability to capture the attention of others, specifically, the attention of your peers.
- Persuade others to alter driving habits. Your design must resonate with teens and young adults and move them to action.
- Clarity of message – it must be understandable and well-structured.
- Creative expression – put your personal stamp on it and make it unique.
- Your design should be of good production quality.
Inspiration & Best Practices
Please review the Clear Channel Outdoor best practices guide for tips on making effective outdoor advertising.
Make sure your design is:
- Limited to 7 words or less.
- Simple. Don’t include background that is distracting or confusing.
- Clear and understandable. Viewers only have a few seconds to understand your billboard message, so make it clear and easy-to-read.
- Not confused with any traffic or road signs. Your design should not include road signage or any font/color schemes that imitate official road signals or traffic directions. This could be confusing to drivers.
- Original. Do not use any design elements that are not of your creation (stock photos, emojis, Apple or other branding, etc.). Avoid (or blur) all branding in your submission. You can use existing design elements that are not of your creation as inspiration, but do not copy or use them directly.
Radio
Guidelines
- Submit spots that are exactly 20 seconds long, but please extend the stock music, background noise/audio, sound effects, etc., for an additional ten seconds. The Ad Council will be adding a 10 second voiceover endtag to the end of your spot (thus, creating an entire 30 second radio PSA)
- Since the winning work may play as people are driving, please do not include noises or dialogue that could be distracting to drivers. This includes, but is not limited to, phone notification sounds, loud noises, sirens, car crash sound effects, etc.
- Please use music provided on this site or that you otherwise have the express permission to use.
- All entries must have a transcript included with the entry.
- Be original
- Make an effort to follow radio recording best practices
- All audio files must be .mp3, .wav or .aiff format, outputted as 2-channel Stereo. Audio in other formats will not be accepted. (Please see accepted audio files on chart below.)
| MP3 | WAV | AIFF | |
| Bitrate | 128 to 320 kbps | Uncompressed | Uncompressed |
| Sample Rate | 44.1 or 48 khz | 44.1 or 48 khz | 44.1 or 48 khz |
| Bits/Sample | N/A | 16 or 24 bit | N/A |
| Audio Channel | 2 CH Stereo | 2 CH Stereo | 2 CH Stereo |
Note: If your entry is selected, your work may be turned into a professional public service radio ad by the Ad Council and could air on radio stations across the U.S. courtesy of iHeartRadio. Please keep all your unused recording taken during the making of your soundtrack.
For a full list of rules, please read the Official Rules.
Judging Criteria
- Ability to capture the attention of others, specifically, the attention of your peers.
- Persuade others to alter driving habits. Your recording must resonate with teens and adults and move them to action.
- Clarity of message – it must be understandable and well-structured.
- Creative Expression – put your personal stamp on it.
- Recording should be of good production quality
Inspiration & Best Practices
Please review the iHeartRadio best practices guide for tips here.
- Please refrain from using a cell phone (iPhone) to record your radio ad because the quality will be jeopardized. Professional grade equipment/software is best: Adobe Audition, Audacity, Soundtrack Pro, etc. Please check with your school’s library or local library to see if you can borrow this equipment.
- If recording in multiple locations/studios, please be mindful of the background noise since it could be captured in your recording. The clearer the audio, the better. Too many noises and sound effects can distract or confuse the listener.
Other tips found online (may be helpful for those new to recording radio):
https://www.strategicmediainc.com/newsroom/top-ten-keys-creating-great-radio-ads
http://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Radio-Ad
Make sure your radio spot is:
- 20 seconds in length.
- Not distracting; do not use any loud or alarming sounds, including – but not limited to – crash sounds or sirens. Keep in mind that folks could hear the winning radio spot as they’re driving, so we don’t want any sounds that might distract them.
- Speak clearly, loudly, and distinctly. We must be able to not only hear what you say but be able to clearly understand it.
- Accurate. If you use any statistics, use those available on NHTSA’s Distracted Driving Page. But please note that you don’t have to use statistics to drive your point home!
- Original. Do not use any elements that are not of your creation. You can use existing elements that are not of your creation as inspiration, but do not copy or use them directly
Overall Tips
Brainstorm
Start by mapping out an idea on paper. Write down as many ideas as possible, then go through your list and pick your favorite(s). Take those favorites and expand upon them but ensure that your ideas are original. You can check that your ideas are original by doing a quick Google or internet search of your concept or keywords.
Tell a story and be creative
Don’t overthink this project. We want you to tell a short story in the form of a video, radio spot or billboard ad. We’re looking for a well-made PSA, but we also want you to talk to your peers. Here are a few questions to ask yourself as you’re crafting that message to share with your peers.
- People know that using their phone while driving is dangerous, but they do it anyway. How can you help ensure that your friends stay safe when driving?
- A lot of distracted driving prevention creative uses scare tactics or preachy messaging to address the consequences of using your phone while driving. How can you craft the message in a positive way? For example, instead of focusing on the consequences of distracted driving, how can you address why people even think they can use their phone while driving in the first place?
- What would influence you to drive safely? How can you turn that into a PSA?
We know we’re asking you to deal with a serious topic, but your submission doesn’t have to be overly serious. You have creative license to use humor, popular culture, personal impact, or whatever moves you. Be creative and just make sure that your creative execution is in good taste, is non-partisan and not affiliated with any specific religion, comes from your heart, and adheres to the Official Rules.
Capture attention
The first thing you must do is capture the attention of other teens and young adults. You need to create something they will notice and want to check out. There should be some sort of entertainment value and immediate attraction to your PSA.
Remember that you can make a difference
People wait their entire lives to create positive change in our society. Through this project, we are offering you that opportunity now. You have a unique, authentic voice and point of view that can reach your peers in ways that adults cannot. Collectively, we can start a movement. YOU can start a movement. It’s not only possible; it’s probable.