National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) — Public Safety Campaigns Across Emerging Media
Executive Summary
Since 2023, I have led creative direction for NHTSA digital awareness campaigns focused on impaired driving, traffic safety, and public education. Working closely with the client and their media agency, I oversaw campaign creative across display, connected TV, dynamic creative optimization (DCO), interactive media, and bilingual executions designed to communicate critical public safety messaging in engaging, accessible ways.
The work required balancing strict government guidelines, accessibility standards, and bilingual requirements with modern digital storytelling, including motion-led creative, gamified experiences, and emerging media such as an augmented reality execution developed for Cadent.
From 2024 to 2025, the account grew 12.8% year over year, with creative supporting a significant portion of annual revenue while contributing to the agency's successful rebid for continued business.
The Challenge
Public safety advertising presents a unique creative challenge. Campaigns must capture attention and inspire action while operating within strict government regulations, accessibility requirements, and bilingual standards.
Every execution needed to communicate serious subject matter with clarity and consistency across English and Spanish while avoiding messaging that felt overly clinical or fear-based. The goal was to create work that audiences would notice, understand, and remember across an increasingly crowded digital landscape.
Leadership & Responsibilities
As Senior Design Director, I led creative direction across the account in partnership with the client, their media agency, and internal cross-functional teams.
My responsibilities included:
Leading creative across display, DCO, connected TV, and interactive campaigns
Developing concepts that balanced audience engagement with government and accessibility requirements
Overseeing bilingual creative execution across English and Spanish campaigns
Reviewing and refining creative across multiple formats and media placements
Collaborating directly with the client's media agency throughout campaign development
Participating in production for the 2023 impaired driving campaign shoot
Supporting the long-term client relationship that contributed to the agency's successful rebid
Creative Execution
Campaigns were designed to educate audiences on impaired driving and traffic safety while making complex public safety messaging more engaging across digital platforms.
Creative work included:
Display advertising
Dynamic Creative Optimization (DCO)
Connected TV (CTV)
Interactive media
Motion design
Gamified experiences
Augmented reality executions
Bilingual English and Spanish campaigns
Each campaign balanced compliance, accessibility, and technical requirements with thoughtful storytelling that encouraged audience engagement without compromising the seriousness of the message.
Results
Business Impact
Contributed to account growth 12.8% YoY
Creative work supported approximately 70% of annual revenue
Helped strengthen a long-term client partnership that contributed to the agency's successful rebid
Creative Impact
Delivered engaging public safety campaigns across highly regulated digital environments
Expanded the use of interactive and emerging media, including augmented reality, within government campaigns
Maintained creative consistency across bilingual campaigns and diverse digital platforms
Leadership Impact
Served as the creative lead across a long-term government account
Partnered closely with client stakeholders, media partners, and internal teams from concept through execution
Balanced strategic creative direction with hands-on design leadership across multiple campaign initiatives
