FWV Creative Production Wins Big at 2025 AASHTO TransComm Awards
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French/West/Vaughan (FWV), one of the nation’s most highly decorated independent public relations, advertising and digital media agencies, earned top recognition at the 2025 American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) TransComm Skills Awards.
Created in partnership with the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) Governor’s Highway Safety Program, the “Sounds of Safety” campaign was recognized in the Video Production – External (with Consultant) category.
As part of the national Click It or Ticket initiative promoting seatbelt use, the video uses the familiar click of a seatbelt as the heartbeat of its message. It reminds drivers to buckle up before every trip through relatable visuals and everyday driving sounds like jingling keys, closing car doors and wiper blades.
FWV distributed the campaign across cable and connected TV (CTV), social media, online video, gas station TV and cinema channels. By employing strong audio tactics consisting of connected car audio, streaming audio and broadcast radio, more than 5 million drivers were reached when and where it mattered most. The multi-channel approach reinforced the campaign’s core safety messaging and played in the most at-risk counties statewide.
“The ‘Sounds of Safety’ campaign serves as a wonderful example of how strong partnerships and innovative storytelling can drive real behavior change,” said Mark Ezzell, director of the NCDOT Governor’s Highway Safety Program. “We are proud to see this effort recognized nationally and even more proud of the impact it is making on North Carolina roads.”
“Our goal was to create something simple, memorable and impossible to ignore that makes a real impact,” said John Moore, FWV’s Executive Creative Director. “Together with NCDOT’s Governor’s Highway Safety Program, we turned a safety message into something creative and culturally resonant.”
The AASHTO TransComm Skills Awards recognize excellence in public communication among state transportation agencies nationwide. Learn more about the 2025 Skills Awards Winners here, and check out the “Sounds of Safety” video below.