One in every 11 deaths on the road is caused by drunk drivers. Each year, around 342 people die on Germany's streets as a result of the influence of alcohol. The city of Hamburg, with its red light district, has one of the highest rates of drink-related road deaths in the country. To combat this problem, the humanitarian organisation Johanniter-Unfallhilfe e.V. came up with an idea to prevent young people in particular from getting behind the wheel when they are drunk. To show just how dangerous drunk driving is, Serviceplan produced radio adverts describing a road accident from the point of view of a dead victim: a 'radio ghost'. What made this campaign unique was that eye-catching transmitters in the shape of wooden crosses were set up in Hamburg, at sites where real accidents had happened, to broadcast the radio adverts.

With the help of these VHF radio frequency transmitters, the adverts were played directly into vehicles stopping nearby, with a different story being told at each location. As soon as a car stopped at a red light, whatever radio station frequency the driver was tuned into at that moment would be bypassed and replaced with the relevant frequency for the radio advert. At the end of the radio sequence, the Johanniter-Unfallhilfe e.V. slogan was played: Wer fährt, trinkt nicht! (If you're driving, don't drink!). Die Johanniter. Aus Liebe zum Leben (For the love of life). www.johanniter.de This campaign made it possible to appeal to the target group specifically and directly, and to confront them with the issue of drink driving and the risk it involves. And the Hamburg Interior Minister now even intends to introduce a complete ban on alcohol for drivers.