The archive · Public & Social · Marketing decision · 2011–2012
NZTA's Ghost Chips turns a drunk-driving dilemma into a national catchphrase
In NZTA's Legend spot, a young man's inner monologue about stopping a drunk mate driving made 'ghost chips' a national phrase — 1M+ YouTube views in two weeks.
New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA)
What it had to solve
New Zealand's road toll among young men, especially young Māori, stayed high and graphic crash ads had not shifted the behaviour. NZTA and Clemenger BBDO were asked to make speaking up when a mate plans to drive drunk feel acceptable.
How it works
In 2011 the New Zealand Transport Agency faced a stubborn problem: the road toll among young drivers, especially young Māori men, stayed high, and graphic crash advertisements had not changed the behaviour. NZTA and agency Clemenger BBDO wanted a different way in — humour and peer pressure instead of shock.
The result was 'Ghost Chips', part of NZTA's Legend series. A young man at a party 'internalises a really complicated situation': his drunk mate is about to drive home. In his head he imagines the friend's chips going uneaten — 'ghost chips' — if he dies, and he finally says the words. Directed by Steve Ayson of The Sweet Shop and posted on YouTube on 23 October 2011, the spot was built to be shared and quoted.
It was. Within six days the video had 100,000 YouTube views and within two weeks more than a million; by December it had passed 1.5 million. 'You know I can't grab your ghost chips' entered everyday New Zealand speech, was parodied across the internet and even turned into a rap song, and the campaign won a D&AD award and New Zealand's Grand Effie in 2012.
Why it lands
- It swapped the usual crash horror for a funny inner monologue, so the message travelled by word of mouth instead of being switched off.
- The joke carries the real stakes — the friend could die — without showing a single victim, keeping the ad shareable rather than grim.
- The final beat is an action anyone can copy: the protagonist simply says the words, modelling speaking up as normal, not heroic or nagging.
- A line people quote in real life is the campaign working: every repeat of 'ghost chips' rehearsed the conversation NZTA wanted to happen.
What it did
The spot drew 100,000 YouTube views in six days and more than a million in two weeks, and 1.5 million+ hits by December 2011. 'You know I can't grab your ghost chips' became a national catchphrase quoted in real life and remixed into parodies and a rap song; the campaign won a D&AD award and New Zealand's Grand Effie in 2012.
What you can take
Let humour carry a hard-to-hear public message: people repeat the line, and repeating it in real life is the behaviour change — speaking up stops feeling preachy and becomes normal.
Since then
Ghost Chips became the signature of NZTA's long-running Legend campaign, which continued to target drink-driving audiences with later spots. Its phrases entered everyday Kiwi speech, the ad was remixed into parodies and music, and the work was recognised with a D&AD award and New Zealand's Grand Effie in 2012.
Sources
- Legend (Ghost Chips) — Road Safety
- Speak up, or forever hold your ghost chips: new NZTA campaign changes tack on drink-driving message
- Ghost Chips
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