Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) has launched ToGetThere, the nonprofit’s first new campaign in over 30 years, urging Americans to take action against impaired driving this holiday season. 

With someone killed or injured in a drunk driving crash every 79 seconds, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), ToGetThere serves as a multifaceted campaign to raise awareness of the public health crisis and change behavior. 

The campaign features a PSA showcasing real families impacted by impaired driving, digital ads, B-roll and a pledge ToGetThere safely, which people can take by visiting MADD’s website and sharing on social media channels to signal that they are available to help others get home safely.

More than 21 million instances of drunk driving on U.S. roads are expected for the holiday period between November 1 and January 1, as much as a 40% surge, according to June 2023 data from NHTSA. 

The timing of the campaign, in tune with the holiday season, also aligns with Impaired Driving Prevention Month in December. 

“The fourth quarter for MADD is also a really critical time because a lot of people are thinking about issues that matter to them and organizations that matter to them,” MADD CEO Stacey Stewart said. 

“This is an opportunity to bring the message of how much impaired driving still impacts us, how much it impacts people’s lives and also just reminding people what MADD is doing to address the issue as well and getting them involved,” said Stewart.

The PSA, created by MADD in-house, tells the stories of victims and survivors and what they wish they knew or wish they had done differently to prevent the incident that took their loved one’s life. MADD senior director of marketing and engagement Kim Pucci said the nonprofit was looking to capture the essence of “If I only knew,” to inspire younger audiences to think twice about their actions before getting behind the wheel.

The overall campaign was developed together with Carol Cone on Purpose. The nonprofit started working with the agency in May and work on the ToGetThere campaign began in July. 

“Our partnership with MADD is one of the most inspiring initiatives of our purpose work over the decades as we can directly save lives through compelling engagement with drivers of all ages,” Carol Cone on Purpose founder and CEO Carol Cone said. 

Additionally, MADD engaged market research and analytics company The Harris Poll to conduct a survey from October 12-16 to get a better sense of American sentiment around the issue of impaired driving and how to communicate with consumers going forward. 

The study found that 34% of Americans admit to having driven a car after consuming alcohol or other drugs when they weren’t entirely sure it was safe for them to get behind the wheel. Nearly half of the 2,073 adults ages 18 and older surveyed reported they’ve been involved in a crash that involved an impaired driver, or knew someone who has. 

The results from the survey will be used across messaging and assets for the campaign’s social and marketing presence. 

ToGetThere will also feature digital advertising running across social media, Meta, Google and Bing. MADD received a $2 million donation in paid advertising from Microsoft and support from corporate partners UKG and Waymo, who will be promoting the campaign through their channels, Pucci said.

The campaign is the first revamp since MADD’s Tie One On For Safety campaign that called on drivers to display a MADD “designate a driver” red ribbon, magnet or decal on their vehicle. The intention of the new campaign is to replace Tie One On For Safety for the holiday season and into coming years. 

“ToGetThere really is a recognition of the last 43 years of MADD’s history to get here by reducing the number of drunk driving deaths by 50%,” Pucci said. “At the same time, it’s a recognition that we really need to get there to a world where impairment puts no lives at risk, and we need to do it together. It’s a triple play, it’s very much by design.”

MADD will be tracking the campaign’s success through social media metrics to analyze if it’s meeting the audiences it’s trying to communicate and engage with, such as Gen Z and millennials. The main focus of the initiative is to get back to putting the issue of impaired driving front and center and identify if MADD’s work is really moving the needle, Stewart said. 

The nonprofit is also providing safe party tips, effective ways to respond if someone who is impaired wants to drive, information on donating and volunteering to support the cause and other resources. 

While a main facet of the acronym, MADD, is specifically focused on drunk driving, Stewart said the organization is highlighting all kinds of impaired driving through its messaging. For example, cannabis use is also a concern as legalization rises in more and more states, especially for younger adults who lack education on the issue.

“We’re going to be framing a lot more messages going into next year around how we can speak more directly to young people so that they think about not only how it could affect them as a victim or survivor, potentially, but how they can make different choices so that they don’t end up as an offender as well,” Stewart said. 

This article originally appeared on PRWeek US.