Most Recalled Advertising for Utility in US

Tucson Electric Power’s famous rattlesnake “Stay Away, Stay Alive” safety campaign was inspired by true events.

After a thunderstorm, a customer was walking his dog in the alley behind his house when he kicked a downed line into a nearby bush, which immediately sparked into flames.

“If it had been a snake, it would have bit me,” he later told TEP safety investigators.

And from that, a safety campaign was born. In 2005, I managed a refresh to the campaign that included TV, print, radio and outdoor.

TV spot shot by director of photography on the movie Twister

I wrote the script, led casting for the actor and served as executive producer on the project. We used real employees from the company for both as our technical advisors and as extras in the background.

We also had real fighters and police officers from Tucson, giving the spot authenticity. Using volunteers also helped keep our production budget under $25,000.

The cinema team was led by Litteer Films. The spot was one of the first in Tucson to be shot on HD, with a rented camera from Burbank. Our director of photography worked on the movie, Twister, giving it some storm realism.

J.D. Power & Associates most recalled advertising campaign

The sport earned three Addy Awards and was recognized by J.D. Power & Associates as the most recalled advertising campaign for any utility company in the United States.

The snake campaign endures, as TEP recently used it on Instagram and is still using my version of the TV spot on YouTube.