New ad underlines dangers of drinking, pedestrian deaths

‘Ubuthakathi’ tells the story of how a night out with a group of friends ends in shocking tragedy. The film is part of December’s #BoozeFreeRoads theme of the Safely Home Calendar, the province’s year-round road safety communication strategy. More than 600 pedestrians are killed on Western Cape roads every year, with most of these victims being under the influence of alcohol.

Y&R Cape Town’s creative director, Nkanyezi Masango commented, “Most people have seen ‘Don’t drink and drive’ ads but ‘Don’t drink and walk’ is a new message to put out there. Essentially, it is about how alcohol affects you and how the booze itself is a form of ‘Ubuthakathi’. Once you are intoxicated, you become a frightening version of yourself that can lead to devastating consequences.”

Remarking on the film, Graham Lang, Y&R South Africa’s CCO, says, “This is another brave film from a client that is willing to push the boundaries for a very necessary reason. It has been a privilege to collaborate on a project that aims to break destructive behavior patterns in the hope that we can make our roads safer for all.”

The creative team from Y&R was Nkanyezi Masango, Gareth Cohen and Graham Lang. The film was directed by Keith Rose from Velocity Films and can be viewed at below. It premiered on 1 December 2016 on SABC 1 and eTV