Chevrolet — “Call Me Out”
Rewriting the social norms that make distracted driving acceptable
Cultural Insight & Visibility / Behavior Change & Cultural Activation / Regenerative Brand Design & Innovation
When Danger Becomes Socially Accepted,
Awareness No Longer Works
Nearly every driver knows texting behind the wheel is dangerous, yet 95% still do it. The problem isn’t information. It’s culture. Distracted driving had become a socially normalized behavior, reinforced by peer habits, not personal intention. Even with laws, PSAs, and warnings, individual drivers felt they were the exception.
Cultural truth:
People don’t change behavior because of risk; they change because of relationships. This is not a technology gap. It’s a social influence gap.
Chevrolet saw an opportunity to intervene, not by educating teens, but by reshaping the social norms that drive their decisions.
I — INSIGHT
From Don’t Text and Drive
→ Your Friends Are the Reason You Stop
Chevrolet reframed distracted driving as a peer-driven behavior, not a rational one.
If peers create risk, peers can also create accountability.
The strategic shift: Turn social pressure (the force behind the problem) into the behavior change solution.
Instead of telling teens what to do, the brand gave their peers the power to influence them directly.
This reframe moved the brand from rule-enforcer to relationship enabler — a more culturally resonant position for teen drivers.
R — REFRAME
“Call Me Out” — Social Pressure Designed as a Safety Tool
Chevrolet developed Call Me Out, a mobile app rooted in behavioral science and co-created with teens.
How it works: When a teen picks up their phone while driving, the app triggers a voice message recorded by a friend, parent, or trusted peer saying, essentially:
“Put your phone down. I care about you.”
These personalized messages are more powerful than generic alerts because they come from the person whose opinion matters most.
Co-Created Through a Behavioral Hackathon
To ensure the solution was culturally credible, Chevrolet co-designed the app with teens through a hackathon facilitated by Wayne State University’s Behavioral Science Department.
Teens shaped:
the tone of the messages
the interface
the incentives they would actually respond to
This wasn’t just a campaign. It was a social system built with the audience it’s meant to influence.
I — INTERVENE
When Culture Shifts, Behavior Follows
The pilot program across multiple high schools delivered transformational results:
95% decrease in phone interactions behind the wheel during the pilot.
2 million+ peer voice messages played reinforcing new social norms every time the phone was picked up.
Behavior becomes relationship-driven: Participants reported that hearing a friend’s voice made the decision emotional, not rational and therefore effective.
This work demonstrates a larger regenerative truth:
”When brands change the cultural conditions around a behavior, individuals change naturally”.
Chevrolet didn’t just fight distracted driving, it reframed accountability as an act of care, and shifted a dangerous norm into a culture of protection.
S — SUSTAIN
“Marketing
Chevrolet launches Android app, enlists family and friends to curb distracted driving”
“Chevy’s Call Me Out App Uses Peer Pressure to Curb Distracted Driving”
“Chevrolet’s New Safe-Driving App Might Actually Give You Road Rage”