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The Scottish Government is to spend £10,000 on a trial scheme to place anti-drink adverts directly into Xbox 360 games across Scotland. The adverts will be seen by gamers playing the online versions of titles including Need for Speed: Carbon, Project Gotham Racing 4 and Pro Evolution Soccer 2008.
This campaign comes as many will be playing console games at home and at a time of year that always presents problems with drink and drive related incidents all across the country: the in-game billboards will carry the Safer Scotland logo. Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson said that with road accidents continuing to rise, it was time to look at innovative solutions.
BBC wrote:
Michael McDonnell, director of Road Safety Scotland, said he was "delighted" the project was going live.
He said: "We need to look beyond the conventional methods of addressing key road safety issues which affect young people.
"I believe that positioning of the drink-drive message in online games will serve as an ever present reminder to young Scots about the consequences. The online message could not be any simpler 'Don't risk it.'"
The Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (Acpos) said the roads are dangerous enough for young and inexperienced motorists without the added hazards of driving under the influence of drink or drugs.
Chief Constable John Vine, chairman of ACPOS road policing, said: "It is alarming that despite all our messages warning of the dangers of driving while under the influence of drink or drugs, young people in particular are failing to pay attentio
"With statistics showing that road deaths, particularly among young people, are continuing to rise, it is clear we must look at new ways of getting road safety messages across," Stevenson said.
"This is a huge opportunity to try and reach a new audience - 73 per cent of UK 15-24 year olds have access to a gaming console in their home. The technology is non-intrusive, subtle, but the message can be seen in the background, loud and clear."
The Scottish Government said the adverts would be non-intrusive and subtle, while still getting this important message across. If the trial is successful, the same strategy could be used to deliver a wide range of road safety messages.
Obviously says something about the fact that XBox 360 Gamers can drive in real life as opposed to PS3 gamers who merely aspire
THE Scottish government has decided to splash out £10,000 to advertise its anti-drink driving campaign in several video games.
The trail project involves sticking the adverts on billboards inside Xbox 360 racing games including Need for Speed: Carbon, Project Gotham Racing 4 and NBA Live.
The big idea is that kids will see the billboards and associate the message with the game.
The Inquirer wrote:
Scots politicians are a bit worried that kids under the influence of alcohol and deep fried Mars bars are causing an increase in the number of car accidents.
They think that if they can get a message to the kids, and 73 percent of them have access to a gaming console, then they can bring the numbers of car crashes down.
If the advertising campaign works, then the Scots politicians plan to include other road-safety messages. Quite how a kid playing Need for Speed will react to a billboard which says "Kill your speed and not a child" they do not seem to have thought through.
But...
In-game advertising is often vilified, as the attempt to generate income for the publishers rarely provides any benefit to the gamer. However, the Scottish Government is harnessing the evil advertising engine of the Xbox 360 to reveal the potential for good; the country spent £10,000 on drunk driving awareness ads in Xbox 360 games.
With the holiday in full swing, cautious driving is an important practice: holiday cheer can quickly turn to mourning when care is abandoned. It's good to see that increasingly intrusive and effective advertising techniques in the gaming world can at least be used for something worthwhile.
LONDON (AP) - The Scottish government is about to find out if there's power in advertising when it comes to discouraging drinking and driving among young people.
And BBC
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/7158463.stm
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