Children of the Street breaks campaign
By Rob Bale
Children of the Street, a not-for-profit organization based in British Columbia, has begun a new campaign. Developed by Will, the campaign is intended to convey to parents the dangers of posting pictures and videos of their children on social media. According to the organization, such images can be used by online predators for the purposes of sexual extortion, bullying and identity theft. The eight-week campaign is running in the greater Vancouver area. It includes social media advertising and out-of-home ads, as well as a website at <http://www.thinkbeforeyoushare.ca>
“There was a compelling contradiction in parents’ use of social media,” said Lisa Lebedovich, executive creative director at Will. “They share photos of their kids because they love them. However, this same act of love is exactly what’s putting their kids in danger. It was important to frame the work in a shame-free way so parents could see themselves reflected in the campaign to more easily process the disturbing truth and spark a behavioural change.”