Case Studies


client: Bridgestone Safety Scholars

Auto Safety Online Videos Target Young Drivers

capabilities/industry:   Broadcast & Video |  Interactive & New Media |  Media Relations |  Automotive |  Education









visit SafetyScholars.com

Car crashes claim the lives of more 16- to 21-year olds than any other cause. Bridgestone Americas, Inc. made a commitment to educate America’s young drivers about auto and tire safety by turning to the teens themselves.

Partnering with DVL to plan and execute the inaugural program in 2007, the Bridgestone-sponsored Safety Scholars Video Contest reached young drivers through the Internet, placing the cameras and the voting in the hands of America’s youth. Teens were asked to create original auto safety videos and submit them online.

The young directors’ videos proved to resonate with their peers. 

Young drivers across the country logged online to submit one- to three-minute videos about road safety. A panel of expert judges narrowed the field of entries to the top 10. Then, close to 10,000 votes were solicited to recognize the videos that most effectively and creatively communicated the message of driver safety.

Three grand-prize winners received $5,000 college scholarships for their life-saving messages. The top 10 filmmakers also received a new set of Bridgestone or Firestone tires. 

results:   More than 600 video entries were submitted during the 2008 contest, and 10,000-plus online votes were tallied to determine the grand prize winners from among 10 finalists. The Safety Scholars website received 50,000 unique site visits and 2.3 million hits. When finalists’ videos were posted to YouTube, they were viewed more than 85,000 times; additionally, Safety Scholars MySpace and Facebook pages generated hundreds of friends. Contest winners attended the Chicago Auto Show, where they showcased their videos to a select group of automotive journalists.

The Safety Scholars program received coverage in national, regional and local trade and consumer press, including articles in Auto Week, Tire Business, the Tampa Tribune, the San Diego Union-Tribune, and the Orange County Register, plus stories on television network affiliates across the country.