Officer Red Flag - Educating The Youth
The Brief:
The Windsor Police Service ICE Unit (Internet Child Exploitation) approached AXLE with a problem: there is an overwhelming amount of child luring, sex trafficking, & child pornography happening within the city. Awareness needed to be spread and the WPS needed an informational piece to educate the community on these serious topics.
The Process:
AXLE was handed full-reign. What was originally designed as a serious informational piece became a light-hearted video about online safety to better approach such a serious topic. Through research and collaboration with the ICE Unit, we developed a script, which contained a series of potential red flag scenarios: a stranger asking for selfies, receiving unwarranted gifts, and arranging for private meetings. Officer Red Flag, costumed in an original Windsor Police Service uniform, but with shorts and high-socks, is our omniscient hero ready to raise a red flag at any sign of danger. Using humour makes understanding this important message accessible for viewers of all ages Officer Red Flag is there as a constant reminder to viewers to be conscious of who you interact with online, and what personal content and information you share on social platforms.
The Result:
The Windsor Police timed this commercial’s release in conjunction with a major child pornographic arrest province-wide. The commercial was met with overwhelming positive feedback; parents, teachers, students, teens, children, and adults praised its relatable approach and tasteful use of humour to drive home such important online-safety lessons. The commercial went viral, reaching local, national, and international audiences from Ukraine to Australia. It has been shown to classrooms and students nationwide, and is in development to be implemented into the V.I.P program amongst school boards.
Among all this praise, our favourite responses came from the personal responses in the comment section – with one young woman proclaiming that she wished Officer Red Flag was around when she was ten years old, as she fell victim to an online predator. She went on to say that she wishes all young people could have a chance to learn from Officer Red Flag, and we feel the same. The most rewarding aspect of producing media comes from not only the satisfaction of making a beautiful production, but knowing that our work could potentially create a positive social impact, is where the true reward lies.
Client:
Windsor Police Service
Brand:
Officer Red Flag
P R E S S
The Windsor Star
“Windsor police video campaign brings humour to internet safety education. Don't reply to that creepy message! Listen to Officer Red Flag, kids. He's the main character of a humorous new Windsor police educational video about internet safety and online predators.”
Dec 6, 2018
CTV News Windsor
“Tongue-in-cheek video designed to teach kids the dangers of the internet.”
Jan 7, 2019
Blackburn News
“Officer Red Flag is his name, and Windsor police hope he will help educate children about the dangers of making friends online. Through humour, the bearded character is designed to help kids spot the red flags online themselves and avoid becoming another statistic, those victimized by child pornographers.”
Dec 6, 2018