Rotorua's 'ghost chips' TV ad star (+video)

Darcey-Ray Flavell-Hudson likes the idea of being a role model.

The Rotorua teenager is the face of a new campaign to prevent youths from drinking and driving.

The advert shows a teenager thinking what it would be like if he let his friend drink and drive, after which he tells him he is too drunk to drive home.

Darcey-Ray has worked on TV3's Outrageous Fortune and Australian television programme Last Man Standing and became well known after his role as the bully called Holden in the Taika Waititi comedy-drama Boy.

The Rotorua 18-year-old also played a lead role in Kerosene Creek, a short film by Michael Bennett that has been on the international film festival circuit.

Darcey-Ray is in his last year at Western Heights High School and is preparing for his final exams. Next year he hopes to study drama in Wellington.

The Rotorua boy said he knows of several Rotorua teenagers who often drink and drive but he hopes they will take on board the message he is promoting in the anti- drink-driving campaign.

"A lot of my mates drink and drive but since the ad has been on they have come up to me and said they won't do it any more," he said.

"It is awesome to think people will pay attention and the people will see me as a role model."

Darcey-Ray said the advert was shot in Auckland during the first week of the school holidays.

"About a month ago a bunch of people came down from Auckland and had auditions here for the part," he said. "It was great when I got the part."

Darcey-Ray isn't the only member of the Flavell family to feature in the popular advert. His older brother Ricky Flavell is one of the partygoers.

The boys' mother, Carolyn Flavell, said she was proud to have two of her sons feature in the campaign.

"It's such a privilege to have them both in the advert," she said.

"They are spreading such a positive message which is so important."

The advert was first screened on Sunday and New Zealand Transport Agency chief executive Geoff Dangerfield said the agency started hearing from people shortly after it first aired.

He said he hoped the positive response to the campaign was a sign that young New Zealanders were ready to take up the challenge of speaking up when a mate was about to drive drunk.

"We've had a wave of great feedback from across New Zealand, all of it positive.

"We research and test all of our ads before they go to air to ensure they are relevant and reach the right people, but this one has gone gangbusters," he said.

"But it's the message here that is important, too many young lives are cut short and too much young potential is wasted from drink-driving, and we need young men to know that if they have the guts to speak up to stop a mate driving drunk they can do it without looking bad or killing the mood at a party."

For more information on the drink-drive campaign go to www.nzta.govt.nz/about/advertising/drink-driving/legend.html.