Bridgestone kicks off 2011 Safety Scholars contest

Bridgestone Americas recently launched fifth annual Safety Scholars Video Contest during a presentation to media at the company’s new product launch in Phoenix. 

The contest, which is one of Bridgestone Americas’ teen driver safety initiatives, offers a unique opportunity for young drivers to educate peers about how to stay safe behind the wheel, both as a driver and a passenger. Entrants create a short automotive safety-themed video that encourages their peers to make better decisions. The submissions are narrowed down to ten finalists, which are posted on safetyscholars.com for online voting.

Due to the increasing popularity of the program, the company elected to open the 2011 Safety Scholars contest to Canadian residents (excluding Quebec) this year. Now, teens ages 16-21 in both the United States and Canada will be able to submit videos about the teen driver safety issues that matter to them.

U.S. based winners will receive a $5,000 college scholarship and a free set of Bridgestone tires. Canadian winners will receive a $5,000 cash prize. Each winning Safety Scholars video may be used as a public service announcement (PSA) on television stations across the country. In 2010, Safety Scholars videos that were included in this PSA campaign aired more than 7,600 times, resulting in more than 75 million audience impressions.


2011 Contest Details:
• Videos must be 25 or 55 seconds in length. 
• Entrants can now submit their videos through May 13 at safetyscholars.com.
• A panel of judges will select 10 finalists based on the following criteria: how well the video compels viewers to be more safety-conscious when using their vehicles, and how well the video effectively and creatively communicates its message.
• The 10 finalist videos will be posted on safetyscholars.com in addition to YouTube and Facebook on June 1. The general public will then vote for their favorites online at safetyscholars.com.
• Official rules with complete entry, eligibility and prize details are available on safetyscholars.com.

The Results:
Votes will be tallied and grand prize-winning videos will be announced on June 28 at safetyscholars.com.