Most drivers think that a DUI charge invariably leads to a conviction, but the new direct response campaign from InterMedia Advertising for 1-800-NO-CUFFS says that isn’t the case—and says it in such a way that makes it memorable to people who may only have one phone call to make when they realize they need legal aid. “Because of the urgency of legal troubles, they might see the ad today, and tomorrow need the service,” says Robert Yallen, CEO of the InterMedia Group.
Dubbing 1-800-NO-CUFFS “Your Get Out of Jail Card,” the $2 million radio and TV campaign uses multiple mnemonics to keep the phone number and the Kavinoky Law Firm top-of-mind. One of the largest criminal defense firms in California, Kavinoky fights DUI charges with its DUI Defense System, which includes more than 58 defenses to counter potentially damaging Breathalyzer and blood-test evidence in court.
As spokesman and partner Darren T. Kavinoky—familiar from appearances as a legal analyst on programs such as Entertainment Tonight, Good Morning America, and his own Deadly Sins on Investigation Discovery—checks off several defenses in front of a lineup of detainees, their cuffs fall off. He then throws the handcuffs in the direction of the camera, where they form the zeros on the 1-800-NO-CUFFS title card. “It’s our job to make people remember the name,” says Oscar Bassinson, who produced the ads as executive creative director and president of InterImage, InterMedia’s creative unit.
The :30 and :60 ads launched on radio and TV in California in August, and had already helped increase response 27 percent by early September. The campaign will soon roll out in other states to build the No Cuffs brand and referral business, with future spots incorporating user testimonials in silhouette. “These people are head-over-heels happy that they aren’t in jail,” Bassinson says. “They either acknowledge that they made a mistake, or really didn’t do anything wrong.
“We’re trying to differentiate Kavinoky from the hundreds of DUI guys out there,” Bassinson adds. “DUI defense is a difficult product. Nobody wants anyone to get hurt as the result of a DUI, but good, responsible people can make mistakes. This is where Darren’s service really shines.”