Safety Starts With You
Eyes Up Phones Down Campaign
COMM 2825
Fitchburg State University
The Worcester County District Attorney's Office
Eyes Up Phones Down
Public Relations Team:
Jessica Lee, Lauren Ruffing, Rachel Nicholas, Sam LeMay, Belanza
Press Release
EYES UP, PHONES DOWN: SAFER ROADS AND WALKWAYS
Fitchburg State and Worcester County District Attorney’s Office Unite for Mindful Driving and a Safer Community
WORCESTER, MASS. — The Worcester County District Attorney’s Office and students from Fitchburg State University are joining forces once again to take the “Eyes Up Phones Down” campaign to the next level by broadening its focus to include pedestrians and cyclist safety. Pushing the need to improve road and traffic safety in accordance with the Hands-Free Law and the Vision Zero Project.
Over the past several years, Worcester County has dealt with alarming increases in traffic-related injuries and fatalities. In 2019, the number of total injuries were 1,446, which included fatal and severe injuries. In 2023, the city aims to try to eliminate pedestrian fatalities and severe injuries. Across the nation, VRU (Vulnerable Road User) crash rates have surged to some of the highest levels seen in decades, totaling an estimated 7,318 pedestrian fatalities in 2023.
Sections of Press Release
Data Collection
Objectives
Empower individuals to be aware of their surroundings when in heavy traffic areas, reducing the risks of distracted walking and driving.
Increase engagement on Instagram and Facebook through the use of eye-catching visuals and informative content.
Promote awareness of the dangers of walking while using a phone. We want to positively encourage pedestrians to put down their devices while walking.
Connect with our audience(s) through persuasive strategies such as pathos and logos – appealing to emotions while simultaneously providing statistical data to convey message.
Prioritize the Message Safety Starts With You
Audience
Compelling Storytelling – Unique Narrative
We aim to strategically craft a unique narrative and create a campaign that emotionally captivates our audience(s). We focused on relatable and realistic scenarios through visual storytelling. This allows resonance and increases the ability to retain, recall, and apply the main message.
For Eyes Up Phones Down, our audience may include daily commuters, college students, suburban neighborhoods where families reside, pedestrian-heavy neighborhoods, and drivers navigating high-traffic areas where distracted behavior is most common.
We prioritized brand identity and consistency by creating cohesive documents across our three teams that align with the mission of the campaign. This will connect our audience to a meaningful brand identity that has purpose and passion. By combining pathos, ethos and logos strategies through the campaign narrative, we will be able to connect with our audience on a deeper level.
Teams
Social Media
The social media team is responsible for the creation and execution of the posts. The team is composed of students with skills and expertise tailored towards:
Public Relations
The PR team has the role of providing the foundational elements and information for the Eyes Up Phones Down campaign. Our press release aims to inform the public, predominantly people interested in change/action in the Worcester and surrounding areas.
PR team is responsible for:
Video Team
The video team is composed of a handful of skilled students with knowledge in the film, screenwriting, sound, and video editing components needed for this campaign:
Creating storyboards and scripts for campaign videos
Using college and personal film resources to create videos that capture the look and feel of the campaign
Sources
Social Media Team
Ephren Oliveira, Kyle Karaca, Cynthia Kamara
Our Goals
Our main goal was to create visually eye catching social media posts that resonate with our target audiences. Breaking away from existing flat graphics, but still be able to integrate with previous content.
We established a retro 90s-2000 inspired aesthetic that would be representative of the overall campaign visuals, untitled between both the video team’s motion work, and the social media team’s static graphics.
Additionally, we wanted our content to be appealing to all age groups. Achieving this by taking a light-hearted approach to educating people about the risks of distracted driving/walking through the use of motifs such as vintage phones and filter grain.
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Target Audiences
Pedestrians/Cyclists
Teens/Young Adults
Parents/Caregivers
The main target of our posts strongly urge pedestrians, cyclists, and anyone on the road to stay safe and undistracted.
Teens and young adults should be encouraged to avoid distractions and phone use while traveling, especially while learning to be independent.
Children rely heavily on adult supervision for their safety. Helpful tips for parents can make sure kids stay safe.
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Vulnerable road users. (2025). Mass.gov. https://www.mass.gov/info-details/vulnerable-road-users#information-on-massachusetts-vulnerable-road-user-law
Post Schedule
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Where?
Why?
When?
-Jan 1 - Aug 31
-12 pm -Wednesdays
-Biweekly
The best time to post on social media varies by platform, but a general rule is Tuesday through Thursday, from mid-morning to early afternoon (10 a.m. to 1 p.m.), as this is when engagement is highest across many networks.
Sprout Social. (2025, October 21). Best times to post on social media in 2025. Sprout Social. https://sproutsocial.com/insights/best-times-to-post-on-social-media/
Bi-weekly allows for the DA’s office to also post regular content the other Wednesdays without disrupting the posting schedule.
Hashtags and Taglines
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Holiday Specific
Campaign Focused
#itcanwait�#safetystartswithyou
#walkwithcare
#eyesupphonesdown
#worcesterda�#MA �#Massachusetts
#WorcesterMa
New Year’s
Valentines Day
St. Patrick’s Day
Earth Day
Mother’s Day
Father’s Day
4th of July
#newyearnotexts
#driveinto2026safely
#loveandsafetysintheair
#driverighttoswiperight
#stayluckystayfocused
#keeptheroadgold
#saferoadssaferearth
#drivegreendriveaware
#drivesafeformom
#eyesontheroadsweetie
#drivesafefordad
#eyesontheroadchamp
#bornfreedrivesafe
#redwhiteanddriveright
90’s Phone Design
Caption:
“Massachusetts drivers’ phone use has risen by 30% since 2013. Don’t let your phone take control of your safety.”
Hashtag(s): #eyesupphonesdown #itcanwait
Platform(s): Instagram, Facebook
Key Audience: Drivers of all ages.
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Night Driving Design
Caption:
“When walking/driving, be alert to your surroundings to prevent accidents.”
Hashtag(s): #eyesupphonesdown #itcanwait
Platform(s): Instagram, Facebook
Key Audience: Pedestrians, drivers, and cyclists.
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Bus Stop Design
Caption:
“Stay safe this upcoming school year!”
Hashtag(s):
#itcanwait #walksafe #backtoschool #eysupphonesdown
Platform(s): Instagram, Facebook
Key Audience: Parents, college students, older high school students, and pedestrians
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Infographic Design
Caption:
“Safety starts with you. Eyes up, phones down.”
Hashtag(s):
#itcanwait #eysupphonesdown
Platform(s): Instagram, Facebook
Key Audience: Young adult drivers and pedestrians.
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Pedestrian Design
Caption:
“18% of all fatalities caused by traffic-related incidents are pedestrians.”
Hashtag(s):
#itcanwait #eysupphonesdown
Platform(s): Instagram, Facebook
Key Audience: All ages of pedestrians and drivers.
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Seasonal: Summer/ Spring
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Seasonal: Winter/Fall
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Holidays
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Carousel Post
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Carousel Post
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Videos
Eyes Up Phones Down
Video Team:
Dustin Vidito, Jeyse Nortey, Griffin Brown, Jonathan Rajotte, Kyle Connolly
General Guidelines
York, Alex. “How to use Instagram geotag to engage with local followers.” Sprout Social, Sprout Social Inc, November 6th 2017, sproutsocial.com/insights/instagram-geotag/.
“Short Form vs. Long Form Content: What’s Best?” Socialfly, Socialfly, LLC, August 15th 2024, socialflyny.com/short-form-vs-long-form-video-content-whats-best-for-your-brand/.
Posting Times
From social media team: Posting at 12PM on Wednesdays; biweekly. Includes every other social media app.
Zukauskas, Rebecca Sparling. “Information Overload.” EBSCO, EBSCO Information Services, Inc., 2022, www.ebsco.com/research-starters/library-and-information-science/information-overload.
Video 1: Chair Talk
Video 1: Chair Talk Caption
One second of distraction is all it takes to change everything, and one second is all it takes to practice #sidewalksafety with your eyes up and your phone down! 🚸
Hashtag: #eyesupphonesdown #worcesterda #Massachusetts
Tag: @dajoeearly, @fitchburgstate, @nortestudios
Location: Fitchburg State University
Video 2
Video 2 Caption
Keep your head up when crossing the street, you never know when a car may be passing by… 🚗🚶
Hashtag: #eyesupphonesdown, #itcanwait, #walkwithcare
Tag: @dajoeearly, @fitchburgstate
Location: Fitchburg State University
Video 3: “Road Safety” (for use by social media team)
Video 3 Caption
Eyes up, phones down — so I can keep showing up for those I love. Why do you practice road safety? ♥️👪
Hashtag: #eyesupphonesdown, #whydoyoupracticeroadsafety,#StayAlertStayAlive
Tag: @dajoeearly, @fitchburgstate
Location: Fitchburg State University
Video 4: DA Interview
Video 5:“Freddy Falcon Teaches Road Safety”
Proposal for production by the Fitchburg State University marketing team.
The basic premise is that Freddy sees common pedestrian mistakes and corrects them.
Narrative Storytelling
Video 1: This video introduces the campaign, what it’s about and sets the tone for the videos to come. Our goal with it is to maintain a serious tone while still being light hearted enough to not alienate the audience.
Video 2: Building off of the first video, we wanted to add a visual to what was said. We showcase a near-miss as a demonstration of the consequences of not paying attention as a pedestrian. Here the Fitchburg State University campus is shown to create the connection between the school and the campaign.
Video 3: To make the campaign more personal we use individual testimonies as to why practicing pedestrian safety is important and each person’s motivation for doing so, whether that be for their kids or loved ones. Whereas the previous two videos focus on the greater scope of the campaign, this one is meant to be smaller and show how each individual comes together to make the campaign a success.
Video 4: This video is meant to be a behind the scenes of sorts, connecting the audience to the architects behind the campaign, their motivations and how their love for roadside safety and how it makes this campaign important to them. It contrasts the previous video by shining the campaign’s spotlight on the city of Worcester and the entirety of Massachusetts while still being personable by virtue of being an interview. This video is focused on Worcester and Massachusetts citizens as a collective rather than indualized like the last video and hopefully evokes regional pride.
Video 5: To close off the campaign, we’re brought back to the campus and more overt in making the connection between the campaign and Fitchburg State University. It is meant to show that although there is more work to do, through consistent effort we can all make a difference, using Freddy to illustrate this of course.