Honda Says If You Can’t Do This While Texting, You Shouldn’t Drive While Texting Either

Since April is apparently Distracted Driving Awareness Month, Honda is running a series of short videos called #PhoneDownEyesUp that urge us to respect our own limits when it comes to multi-tasking. 

Each ad suggests that if you can't safely complete minor chores and tasks—like gardening, vacuuming or making pancakes—while texting, you really shouldn't text and drive either. 

It's a fair point, only minimally undercut by the fact that these videos were made to be easily shared on mobile-friendly social media. Honda also made custom lock screens for this campaign, which can be downloaded directly from Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram. 

The campaign's target audience is millennials, of course, but we're pretty sure it's not just young people doing this. A parallel campaign for baby boomers that shows them texting during some of their common behaviors—reminiscing about the '60s, writing checks at the grocery store, telling their kids to get "computer" jobs—would raise awareness among another generation known for entitled and selfish behavior. 

Their phones could also offer helpful driving advice, like encouraging them to at least drive the speed limit on the JFX.

More creative from the campaign appears below.

CREDITS

Client: Honda

Agency: RPA

Executive Vice President, Chief Creative Officer: Joe Baratelli

Senior Vice President, Executive Creative Director: Jason Sperling

Vice President, Creative Director, Social Media: J. Barbush

Associate Creative Director: Stephen Hernandez

Senior Art Director: Amy Servidea

Senior Copywriter: Chris Bradford

Senior Vice President, Chief Production Officer: Gary Paticoff

Vice President, Executive Producer: Isadora Chesler

Producer: Phung Vo

Vice President, Director of Digital Production: Dave Brezinski

Executive Digital Producer: Linda Kim

Digital Producer: Amy Seidner

Executive Vice President, Management Account Director: Brett Bender

Vice President, Group Account Director: Adam Blankenship

Account Supervisor: Kaelin McGill

Account Executive: Elizabeth Weakley

Assistant Account Executives: Wynt Curliano, Alanna Mozingo

Vice President, Director of Business Affairs: Maria Del Homme

Intern: Patrick Schrader

Intern: Laurie Scott

Production Company: Rabbit Content

Director: Isaac Rentz

Producer: Lauren Solie

Executive Producers: Missy Galanida, Joby Barnhart, Isaac Rice

Director of Photography: Sing Howe Yam

First Assistant Director: George Nessis

Production Manager: Austin Barbera

Production Designer: Cody Fusina

Editing: Cut + Run

Managing Director: Michelle Eskin

Executive Producer: Amburr Farls

Editor: Andy Green

Finishing: Jogger

Executive Producer: Rich Rama

Creative Director: David Parker

Mix: Lime Studios

Audio Mixer: Dave Wagg

Audio Assistant: Adam Primack