Summer 2015 Issue

Welcome Message from the FDOT Drive it Home Team

Welcome to the inaugural edition of Talkin’ Trash! This newsletter is provided by the Department of Transportation and is part of the statewide Roadside Litter Prevention Education Media Campaign.

Built around the theme, “DRIVE IT HOME … KEEP OUR PARADISE Aric Almirola LITTER-FREE®,” this creative and roster of VIP Sports Celebrities on the Team ! innovative initiative enlists the support of noted VIP sports celebrities and What happens when four professional athletes who have joined professional NFL players, two in to share the importance of not NASCAR drivers and a former littering on our state’s highways and pro golfer get together? roadsides. You’ve got an All-Star line of top notch sports celebs on In this inaugural edition of the the team. newsletter, we invite you to join the Florida Native Aric Almirola, team and help us spread the word driver of the iconic #43 car for to “DRIVE IT HOME … KEEP OUR Motorsports, PARADISE LITTER-FREE®!” leads the pack of A-list all star sports celebs who have Sincerely, signed up with the FDOT The FDOT Drive It Home Team “Drive It Home” team. Others include NFL Legend Jason Taylor; and current NFL players Johnathan Cyprien; safety with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Mike James; running back with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Brian Hartline; wide receiver formerly with the Miami Dolphins and now with the Cleveland Browns; Scott Lagasse, Jr., NASCAR racer; and, Kenny Knox, former PGA tour champion. Social Media Challenge Scores Big

As part of the Great American Clean-up initiative, FDOT’s “DRIVE IT HOME” campaign launched a statewide Trash-Off Greek and Club Challenge competition. The Challenge was open to every sanctioned college sorority, fraternity or social service club organization in the state.

Students from a dozen colleges participated in the Challenge and demonstrated how they dispose of litter through Artistic Expression, Campus/ Community Activity, Poetry and Prose, Unique Out & About Community Events Art Piece or Video Showcase, using the “Drive it Home … Keep Our Paradise Litter-Free” theme. In a continuing effort to help raise awareness and Winners were: engage the community, members of the Florida Department of Transportation Roadside Litter Prevention Education (RLPE) Media Campaign team are out and about and attending events statewide, and being joined by campaign partners.

From the Florida League of Cities Conference to the Miami-Dade County Image Advisory Committee Meeting, the Drive It Home team is on a mission to educate and empower everyone to keep our paradise litter-free.

Having an event? Let the DRIVE IT HOME team join in. To schedule a presentation, contact us at [email protected]

Award-Winning Campaign

Congrats to the Drive It Home team for receiving the coveted Silver ADDY award from the American Advertising Federation and three COMMUNICATOR Awards from the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts.

About the Campaign

The state’s officialRoadside Litter Prevention Education (RLPE) Media Campaign aims to reduce the incidence of littering on Florida highways, promote pride in the beauty of Florida’s landscapes and educate Florida motorists about the dangers and hazards of roadside litter. Built around the theme, “DRIVE IT HOME . . . KEEP OUR PARADISE LITTER-FREE®,” the campaign enlists professional and amateur athletes from a variety of sports, who appear in various media outlets including radio, television, outdoor and newsprint.

The campaign seeks to educate Floridians and visitors on litter issues and change their behavior by leveraging the influence of athletes portrayed in a high-visibility multi-media campaign with television, radio and outdoor advertising components, as well as community events. The primary audience focus for the campaign includes driving motorists between the ages of 15 – 35. For more information, contact Bernadette Morris at (305) 948-8063.