Anti-gang campaign begins in Vancouver
By Adnews Staff
Vancouver advocacy group A Community That Cares has begun a campaign of multi-media public service announcements intended to reduce gang recruitment and gang violence in the Lower Mainland area. The campaign, called “Youth Against Gang Violence,” was developed pro-bono by DDB Canada of Vancouver. The initiative is aimed at young people who may be attracted by the gang lifestyle. It includes a 30-second television commercial called “Microcosm” and a website at <http://www.stayout.ca>, as well as stencils and street posters in the form of mock gang recruitment ads. The creative displays phone numbers that, when called, play audio recordings of gang-related events that occurred at that location. The TV ad depicts street gangs as a type of blood infection. It ends with the tagline, “Gang Life Kills.” Another element of the campaign is the street-level distribution of used gun shell casings branded with the website address. “The purpose of this campaign it to deliver the message that despite the perceived glamour surrounding gang life, in reality there are severe consequences, and to provide an easy Web link and hotline to find support,” said Kabir Shaukat Ali, co-founder of the group.