Cambodia - February 27, 2018

A new safety campaign will integrate media- and community-based approaches to address distracted driving among 15 to 29 year olds. The campaign’s slogan is “Leave your phone alone or you could be next!” and features a sinister, evil emoji character as its key visual. It will be broadcast through a public service announcement on national television channels and disseminated through digital channels via an online media campaign. AIP Foundation is leading the initiative as part of The UPS Foundation-supported Safety Delivered program, and working in close consultation with the Cambodian National Police, the National Road Safety Committee, and representatives from relevant ministries and target universities.

The campaign’s television commercial (TVC) takes the familiar icon of a cute and innocent emoji and turns it into a lethal killer on the road, by featuring a malicious emoji that preys on distracted motorcyclists. Through this innovative reimagining of common road situations into horror movie scenes, the campaign addresses the consequences of unsafe behaviors such as calling, text messaging, and using the Internet. These behaviors cause a driver to become distracted, slow his or her reaction time, and affect his or her ability to make safe driving decisions.