The Ad Council and Project Yellow Light announced the winners of the ninth annual Project Yellow Light scholarship competition. The contest involves students creating a TV, radio or billboard PSA to educate their peers about the dangers of distracted driving, specifically the dangers of using a phone while driving. The winning PSAs were revealed yesterday on a digital billboard in New York City’s Times Square, in space donated by Clear Channel Outdoor.
Project Yellow Light was established in 2007 by the family of Hunter Garner to honor his memory after his death in a car crash at age 16. According to the latest data, 2,841 people were killed in crashes involving distracted drivers in 2018. Texting while driving is an especially problematic trend among younger drivers. In 2018, 8 percent of people killed in teen (15-19) driving crashes died when the teen drivers were distracted at the times of the crashes.
The contest received 2,163 submissions this year. Entries were received from students representing all fifty states and Washington, D.C. The 2020 scholarship prizes were awarded to the following winners:
- First Domino (video, high school): Joanne Sakamoto (Roanoke, VA)
- Phone Down (video, college): Kambria Cook (N. Chesterfield, VA)
- Eyes on the Road (billboard design, high school): Jami Pandiscio (Franklin, MA)
- It’s Simple (billboard design, college): Sierra Fentress (Sykesville, MD)
- You Can Wait (radio, high school): Miriam Zuo (Sugar Land, TX)
- Telegraphing Catastrophe (radio, college): Matthew Merrill (Frisco, TX)
A host of advertising industry executives and artists lent their time to judging the entries. This year’s panel included recording artist and songwriter Aloe Blacc; renowned filmmaker and social activist Kweku Mandela; Dentsu Aegis Network Global CEO Wendy Clark; Wordsworth + Booth President Tony Mennuto; Co-Chairman and Partner of Goodby Silverstein & Partners, Jeff Goodby; and representatives from the Martin Agency, Pereira O’Dell and Project Yellow Light partners the Ad Council, Apparent Insurance, AT&T’s It Can Wait, CCO, Elephant Insurance and iHeartMedia.
Here are the two billboard entry winners created by Jami Pandiscio and Sierra Fentress .
Project Yellow Light
Project Yellow Light is a film, billboard and radio scholarship competition where high school and college students create compelling stories persuading their peers to develop safe driving habits. This project gives students a voice and a role in preventing car crashes — one of the leading causes of death of teenagers and young adults in the U.S. Project Yellow Light was created by Julie, Lowell and Alex Garner in memory of their son/brother, Hunter, who died tragically in a car crash in 2007. Each year the winners receive the Hunter Garner Scholarship.
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