The advertising - "text and driving" behavior relationship: theory and evidence of a shock advertising experiment

We investigate how shock advertising communication affects people’s driving behaviors. Texting while driving is a dangerous practice becoming increasingly common, especially among young people. The research compares a social shock advertising style versus a traditional communication style in preventing dangerous driving habits. We found that shock advertising had a significant impact on drivers’ intentions about whether or not to use portable communication devices (i.e. smartphones, tablets) while driving. This paper offers insights on how to design effective social communication strategies able to affect recipients’ behaviors.