Werner Herzog is no stranger to grim subjects, having created the documentaries “On Death Row” and “Grizzly Man.” A British newspaper recently cited the German film director’s “50 years of potent, inspiring, disturbing films.”
Herzog was behind the camera for a rare commercial, a short but stunning PSA for AT&T’s “It Can Wait” texting & driving campaign.
Herzog says nothing during the clip, contrary to his style, and lets the mother of a paralyzed boy do the talking.
“His legs are gone, he is paralyzed from the diaphragm down,” the mother before the camera reveals Xzavier, confined to a wheelchair and breathing with a respirator.
The text-messaging driver who hit the boy in a crosswalk reportedly was texting the words, “I’m on my way.”
The mother ponders what she’d say to the driver: “Was the text that important? That would be my question for her.” (text continues)
AT&T began the ambitious It Can Wait campaign in 2010. AT&T was joined in mid-May by rival wireless carriers Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile. The Xzavier video was the first in their series of “stories of people who are living with the consequences of texting while driving” under the campaign.
Herzog made the AT&T spot via BBDO New York.
We have finally achieved the first step toward eliminating texting while driving in Florida, but much more is to be done. If we look at the whole picture of distracted driving, there is little question that texting tops the high risk list.
We know that we cannot eliminate distracted driving, but all efforts move us a bit closer to reducing the probability of hazardous events. (Director of Government and Public Affairs, American Society of Safety Engineers, Florida Suncoast Chapter)