Up in Smoke

Most people appreciate the dangers of drunk driving, but what’s the problem with getting high before getting in a car? That’s the mindset driving a dangerous trend among too many young people in Denmark: drug driving . In roughly one-third of serious or fatal accidents involving a driver of a motorized vehicle under the influence of drugs or medication, the driver is between 17 and 24 years old. Yet research shows many Danish youth don’t appreciate the risks of drug driving, or are aware of the penalties it incurs. To tackle the issue, Rådet for Sikker Trafik (Danish Road Safety Council) has launched a powerful campaign highlighting the severe consequences of cannabis-impaired driving - in a brutally literal way.

Created by Worth Your While agency, Op i røg (Up in Smoke) introduces a provocative new product - a pack of rolling papers designed to look like Danish driver's licenses. Alongside authentic stories of young people whose licences literally ‘went up in smoke’ after they sparked up a spliff and drove, and visceral visual messaging, the campaign transforms an abstract legal threat into a thought-provoking question for young Danish adults: is drug driving really worth it?

At the heart of ‘Up in Smoke’ is a duo of 30-second animated films capturing the real-life experiences of two cannabis smoking drivers. Directed by Casper Balslev and produced by new-land, the films combine emotional storytelling with the campaign’s signature green aesthetic to create a cinematic feel, punctuated by impactful visual metaphors such as licences dissolving into smoke.

‘Chase’ follows one young disqualified driver, who borrows his sleeping father's car keys to drive with friends and smoke cannabis. Feeling invincible while high, he carelessly runs a red light. When blue police lights appear, he tries to flee, only to end up in a holding cell. Even worse than losing his licence is the sight of his mother's devastated face in court.

Meanwhile in ‘HotBox’, another young disqualified driver hotboxes two joints in her parked car after an argument with her boyfriend. Making the ill-informed decision to drive, she makes it just 100 meters before encountering police. Cue an arrest, a blood test, resulting in watching everything disappear: friends, car, independence.

By opting for a full animation approach over documentary-style footage, the agency avoided any sense of ‘staging’ in the films - instead allowing them to tell authentic stories based on real cases, while simultaneously protecting identities.

In creating ‘Up in Smoke’, Worth Your While drew on deterrence research into drunk driving and the principles behind successful interventions . The resulting campaign portrays the tangible consequences of drug driving through real cases showing routine detection, as well as the devastating outcomes including three years without a licence, the inconvenience of using public transport and the disappointment of family and friends.

Alongside the films, the campaign features packs of custom-branded ‘Up in Smoke’ smoking papers, printed with mocked-up drivers’ licences. They will be distributed to key influencers and media as part of the initial PR phase of the campaign.

‘Up in Smoke’ launches today with a multi-layered activation strategy across youth relevant touchpoints on streaming channels TV2 Play, Viaplay, Hbo Max and digital channels Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat, mobile games and digital screens at schools and technical colleges.