HooHaa sends all the right messages

A sober driver campaign message. Photo / Supplied

Local web-based company HooHaa is using the popularity of mobile phones to channel advertising to target audiences.

Its 80,000-strong database receives text messages tailored to their specific interests.

They are paid a 10 cent credit per message that can be applied to their mobile phone bill or Trade Me account.

The New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) just ran an innovative campaign through HooHaa aimed at deterring young men from drink-driving by promoting having a sober driver. The strategy was to reach males aged 16 to 24 just before key drinking times and remind them in a light-hearted way to choose their sober driver for the night.

Rachel Prince of the NZTA says the agency needed to connect with a hard-to-reach audience when they least expected it and capture their interest.

"We chose to send our message on relevant days of the week, at times to encourage recipients to plan for the night and choose a sober driver."

The NZTA wanted "being the sober driver" to become a regular part of being a good mate, so it was positioned alongside other things mates do, as one of 10 "Men Commandments".

Recipients got the text message: "Sober drivers always take one for the team", together with one of the other nine humorous commandments such as "Thou shalt not look down and a bit sideways at the urinal".

She says the medium has been cost-effective.

"We know exactly who and how many guys we are reaching, so there is no wastage." Feedback has been positive, with 62 per cent of recipients who responded indicating they used the message to choose a sober driver.

Comments from recipients included: "Great way to stop drink driving, me and a few mates actually did it", "It's an awesome way to pick a sober driver" and "Found it funny and told my mates about what was in the text".