CCA RELEASES ANTI-BULLYING SPOT
By Adnews Staff
Concerned Children's Advertisers has released a new anti-bullying television commercial called "Walk Away." The 30-second ad is part of a three-year public education campaign being produced in partnership with the Government of Canada as part of its National Strategy on Community Safety and Crime Prevention. "Walk Away" was created pro-bono by Publicis. It is aimed at children eight to 10 years of age. It will run in English and French during prime viewing hours for children and families. The ad is set in a school yard where a young boy intimidates others and shouts insults. The camera pulls away as if the viewer were walking away from the bully. A voiceover says, "Bullies just want to show off. But if everyone just walked away, imagine how silly bullies would look. Walk away. Tell someone. Because bullies aren't bigger than all of us." The spot and supporting materials will also be included in CCA's TV&ME in-school program for children, parents and teachers. "Our hope is that this commercial will help children understand that by doing nothing, just standing there and watching, they are actually contributing to the problem," said Cathy Loblaw, president and chief operating officer of Concerned Children's Advertisers. "We want to help kids realize that they also have the power to play an important role in putting an end to bullying."