SOVRN - A creative agency

What's the best way to talk to teens about traffic safety? Meet them where they are. Duh. Teens in Idaho are 2.6 times more likely to be involved in a crash than drivers of any other age group. We have to do better. We've been in a lot of places serving up a lot of messages for teen driver safety week but these might be my favorites. They are sidewalk chalk installations we placed near high traffic areas for teens - these photos are near the stadium where most Boise high schools play their football games. The communication landscape is constantly changing - especially among young people. We have to be creative and innovative as we try to keep up - I'm proud to have a team that's willing to jump in and take risks! Stephanie Brown Hanna Krizman Marisa Jackels Tabitha Smith Brian Cottier Erick Gutierrez SOVRN - A creative agency Riester SHIFT Idaho

Holy sh#$, time flies. Six years ago, Joe Rice Brian Cottier Philip McLain and I launched a big experiment—opening SOVRN - A creative agency ’s Helena office. 1 much-needed haircut 3 different offices 4 babies born 5 new employees 15,600 cans of Lacroix slammed 1,000,000+ smiles and laughs with friends From day one it was about community. I'm humbled and grateful for the wonderful partnerships we’ve made across the great state of #Montana Cheers to the next 6 years ?? ?? circa 2018 Fourosix Great Divide Cyclery Daniel Barry Big Dipper Ice Cream Wolf Creek Anglers Jason Orzechowski Sidecar Jason O'Neil Jennell Day #triedandtrue #inhouse #nobullshit #sovrn #creative #helena #montana

It's been a busy couple days for our little team. We've been crisscrossing Southern Idaho with our friends from the Idaho Walk Bike Alliance and Boise Bicycle Project to tell the stories of people who walk, ride, roll, and drive. The content we captured will be used in the classroom as part of our Youth Active Transportation Safety Grant from the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) and NRSF. We're also creating a new statewide campaign inspired by Jonathan Adkins and his challenge at last year's GHSA annual meeting to create an awakening around traffic safety. You'll have to stay tuned for more but until then, here's a little behind the scenes action for you ;) Idaho Transportation Department Tabitha Smith Ellen Mattila SOVRN - A creative agency

Last year at the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) Annual Meeting, I participated in a panel discussion focused on communication and how to create a greater sense of urgency about our traffic safety crisis. During the discussion, someone asked how we communicate about roadside care and emergency services. A fellow panelist suggested using a billboard. This idea sparked my interest, and when I got back to Boise, our team started brainstorming billboard concepts and how that might look (Jonathan Adkins was right when he said I'd probably do it). Once we had a first concept put together, we reached out to some of our partners who work in trauma centers and as emergency medical technicians. As we began those conversations, I learned a lot and had many aha moments. I never realized how much of our state is covered by volunteer EMTs. I learned about different levels of trauma centers and some of the challenges about getting critically injured people to our level 2 trauma centers (Idaho doesn’t have a level 1 trauma center). I learned about the importance of the “golden hour” and providing care as quickly as possible. I learned that there was much more to this story than what might fit on a billboard. As we collaborated with our partners to better understand these challenges, it became clear that we needed to amplify the voices of our EMTs. These professionals witness firsthand the devastating consequences of traffic crashes, particularly in rural areas where many fatal crashes involve a single vehicle leaving the roadway and an unbuckled driver. By sharing the stories and experiences of EMTs, our goal is to change the belief that not wearing a seat belt doesn’t affect anyone else. Our goal was to encourage people to slow down, put away distractions, and drive sober, especially on rural roads. Working closely with EMTs helped us craft a more impactful and authentic message, creating a stronger sense of urgency about traffic safety in our state. The woman in this video is one of many who give up their time to help people in need - please wear your seat belt to help them out!