Here is a quick snapshot of Rose’s handiwork: a one-minute video using Optimus Prime cartoon footage with Rose doing a rap voice-over; a 37-second video using “Twilight” movie footage and an ODOT employee’s voice-over that closes with the message ‘Even hot vampires wear their seatbelt...You should too!’; and a 37-second video using Frosty the Snowman footage with ODOT’s safety message dubbed as Frosty moves his snow lips and adults’ falsetto voices provide the children’s cheers.
The last six YouTube videos have generated, on average, 376 views each and a smattering of uncharitable comments. Here were some viewer comments of the Optimus Prime rap cartoon:
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“This is awful. ODOT what were you thinking.”
“Good God.”
The Frosty video got a frosty reception. “Why are my tax dollars paying for this (expletive)?” commented one. A second said, “This is just creepy. Please tell me this is a joke.”
Rose, who came up with the idea for the social media campaign, plans to post one video for each workday in December and said he does the production at home after work. He describes the campaign as “a fun, clever way to keep safe driving practices on (drivers’) minds.”
Rose said ODOT wants to build an audience of followers on Twitter and Facebook so that it can deliver information via these platforms. So far, ODOT has 109 followers on Facebook, he said.
“No other state transportation department has done something like this,” Rose said.
Contact this reporter at (614) 224-1624 or lbischoff@DaytonDailyNews.com.
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