Crush the Can Not the Car
100 lb glossy paper
8 x 6 in booklet
Graphic design
Student work
Programs: Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign
The target audience for this campaign is reckless, bored teenagers living in rural areas. This demographic is disproportionately affected by drunk driving incidents. Growing up in a rural area myself, I watched this issue affect every graduating class, including my own. Too many individuals have died or been irreversibly damaged by their choice to drive drunk.
These individuals are specifically vulnerable to the threat of drunk driving because this is the age at which they simultaneously get their driver’s license and typically experiment with drugs and alcohol. Teenagers also may not be able to fully comprehend the dangers they pose to both themselves and others on the road if they are driving drunk.
Rural areas lend to underage drunk driving tragedies because there is no public transportation, higher speed limits, lower age restrictions for licensure in some regions, and a high density of blue-collar workers who need to either drive very early or late in the day for work. There are also several social factors, including parental approval, a higher acceptance of peer alcohol use, and easier access to alcohol through others who are of age.
The messaging is straightforward because I want teenagers to immediately understand the risks associated with drunk driving at a glance. I was careful to limit negative commands because telling kids “not” to do something can tempt them more. Instead, the language I use encourages them to come to their own conclusion about responsible choices. However, the campaign’s stance on driving while intoxicated remains clear. I’m also leaning into words like “trashed,” “wrecked,” and “wasted” because they produce a double meaning of drunkenness and personal injury.
The imagery included relies on a beer can that has been mangled, broken, or exploded. This will serve as a visual metaphor for what can happen if one drinks and drives. The beer can is therefore personified or compared to the scrap metal of a crashed can. I have also adapted road signage to create imagery for this brand.
The logo stayed concise and simplistic to contrast with the campaign's many graphic elements, so it's a typeset result. The visual is bold and impactful, using a tagline that is memorable to viewers.
The colors used are those found on roads and road signs. The target audience is highly familiar with the association of these colors, making it immediately recognizable. The red also references blood from a car crash injury or emergency signaling, indicating the dangerous consequences of drunk driving.
The typography references that of road signs. Many campaign graphics reference road signage, and these typefaces follow this same theme and remaining high-visibility throughout multiple applications.