NEW YORK, March 1, 2017 – Prominent leaders from the advertising, media, entertainment and social entrepreneurship industries are teaming up to prevent texting and driving in partnership with Project Yellow Light, a national public service advertising (PSA) contest and scholarship program. The panel of judges will include actress, YouTuber and tastemaker Meg DeAngelis; hip-hop artist Aloe Blacc; filmmaker and social activist Kweku Mandela; Wendy Clark, CEO of DDB North America; Jeff Goodby, Co-Chairman of Goodby Silverstein & Partners; and Michael McGraw, SVP of Marketing Solutions at Clear Channel Outdoor Americas (CCOA).
In 2015, 3,477 people were killed and an estimated additional 391,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers, according to a report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Teenagers are most likely to be distracted at the time of crashes, and nine percent of all drivers 15 to 19 years old involved in fatal crashes were reported as distracted at the time of the crash. Project Yellow Light helps reach this critical audience with the power of peer-generated content.
“We’re so grateful and excited to welcome back our distinguished panel of judges,” said Julie Garner, founder of Project Yellow Light. “Each brings a unique creative perspective and they are all committed to road safety and saving lives.”
Julie Garner and her family created the scholarship competition to honor the memory of her son, Hunter Garner, after his death in a car crash at age 16. The winning submissions are turned into public service advertisements (PSAs). As part of their ongoing “Stop the Texts. Stop the Wrecks.” Texting and Driving Prevention campaign, the Ad Council partners with Project Yellow Light to ensure the winning submissions receive nationwide exposure through TV spots, iHeartMedia radio stations, and CCOA billboards.
Supporting partners of Project Yellow Light include Mazda Motorsports, U-Haul, iHeartMedia, CCOA and the National Organization of Youth Safety (NOYS).
“The power of Project Yellow Light is in its peer-to-peer approach of engaging creative young adults around the issue of texting and driving,” said Lisa Sherman, President and CEO of the Ad Council. “We hope that by reaching out to teens in their own words, we can reduce the crashes caused by distracted driving.”
The program is accepting applications through March 1, 2017 for billboard submissions and April 1, 2017 for radio and video submissions. For more details on timing, judging criteria and a full list of rules and regulations, visit www.projectyellowlight.com.
The Ad Council
The Ad Council is a private, non-profit organization with a rich history of marshaling volunteer talent from the advertising and media industries to deliver critical messages to the American public.To learn more about the Ad Council and its campaigns, visit www.adcouncil.org, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or view our PSAs on YouTube.
For more information contact:
Ashley Menschner: amenschner@adcouncil.org, (212) 922-1500
Julie Garner: Julie.garner@martinagency.com, (804) 698-8203
