Students from the broadcasting and public relations programs are working with a campaign to make and promote commercials that bring awareness to the dangers of drunk driving.
The PSAs for IPromise are 60 seconds long and aired Feb. 25 on YouTube and other social media sites.
Broadcasting students provide the content, while public relations students are responsible for promoting the videos and getting the public involved online by sharing their experiences with the hashtag #IWouldnt.
The chief operating officer at MADD, Dawn Regan, said the IPromise campaign has a huge commitment to drunk driving prevention and supporting MADD.
“We receive significant funds from IPromise no question,” said Regan. “Most organizations give three per cent or so but IPromise gives one or $2 for every sale of their items.”
Second year broadcasting student Rene Fortier stars in and directs the two commercials his group is making for IPromise. Fortier decided to come at this assignment from a comedic angle.
Both his PSAs carry similar messages, if you wouldn’t get blood work done by a vampire or cheat at Monopoly against thugs, then why would you risk driving home drunk?
“It’s a chance to make videos that have a meaningful social impact,” said Fortier.
“I love watching movies and making movies but I always want them to mean something more than entertainment.”
Fortier’s commercials poke fun at the idiocy of drunk driving while still handling the issue with respect and courtesy.
For the public relations member of Fortier’s group, Amber Gesualdi-Stirling, these videos are much more personal.
“This campaign means a lot to me because a close friend was hit by a drunk driver two years ago and luckily she survived,” said Gesualdi-Stirling.
“Her experience always resonated with me because, as a college student, driving impaired is a pretty common situation that many of us may have to face at some point in our life.”
Last year’s students made a commercial on the dangers of driving and texting and received over 15,000 views.