Five weeks ago, FCB launched its first campaign for Water Safety NZ in partnership with ACC. “The Swim Reaper has been hanging out at swimming spots around New Zealand this summer, and armed with a seriously dark sense of humour, he’s been saving lives by encouraging deaths,” says FCB PR executive Katie Smith.
Some key facts after five weeks:
- More than 13,000 followers and 30,000 likes on Instagram
- Profiled as a Staff Pick on imgur.com (home of the internet’s most viral images)
- 20% drop in total drownings (yoy) and zero drownings in target demographic
The campaign aims to target young males – mainly through Instagram (it also ran on Snapchat) – as young males disproportionately make up more than one third of preventable drownings in New Zealand. “A lot of these drownings wouldn’t occur, if young males simply made smarter decisions around water,” Smith says.
“However, this cynical audience reacts badly to being told what to do. Positive safety messaging simply doesn’t resonate with them. Instead, FCB took up a darkly comedic standpoint, under the creative tagline Swim dumb and you’re done.
“The Swim Reaper is looking to claim as many lives as he can, but by openly encouraging young people to be dumb around water, he ironically ends up pointing out the stupid behaviours that can lead to fatalities.”
While the target group of young males normally make up more than one third of preventable drownings, this summer has seen a drastic decrease – there have been zero drownings of young males to date, and overall, a 20% drop in total drownings.
Comments from followers of the campaign atest to its popularity:
- “This is hands down the best IG page.”
- “Please acknowledge the existence of this ridiculous and genius account @ryanrodman.”
- “HAHAHAHA this fkn page thooooooooo losing my shit.”
This type of campaign is a first for Water Safety NZ, as typically they have taken the route of more traditional campaigns to share their safety messages.
Water Safety NZ ceo Jonty Mills said: “The Swim Reaper campaign has been a great success. It’s raised awareness among young males that there can be fatal consequences for unsafe behaviour in, on or around water, without Water Safety NZ being the ‘fun police’.
“The humour of the campaign has engaged our target audience while delivering an important safety message – normally a difficult task considering the tendency is for young men to under estimate risks and over-estimate their ability”
The Swim Reaper is running until late February. Follow him on Instagram @iamtheswimreaper and on Snapchat as swimreaper.
CREDITS
Regional Executive Creative Director: James Mok
Executive Creative Director: Tony Clewett
Creative Services Director: Jenni Doubleday
Creative: David Shirley
Creative: Melina Fiolitakis
Head of Craft: Nick Smith
Retoucher: Anton Mason
Head of Media – PR, Activation & Social: Angela Spain
Senior Account Manager – Social: Laura Holyoake
Head of Hive Content Creation: Lauren Watling
Content Director: Michael Braid
Content Creator: Cameron Wilson
Editor/s: Michael Braid/Cameron Wilson
Photography: Michael Braid
General Manager Wellington: Sean Keaney
Account Director: Katya Frolova
Account Manager: Emilie Watts
Senior Media Planner: Andrew Coulthard
Digital Planner/Buyer: Desita Anggrani
Senior Digital Designer: Warik Blake
Digital Designer/Developer: Carl Ceres
Social Campaign Manager: Lena Aziz
Production Company: FCB New Zealand Hive
Share this Post
