Get help or get caught

Client: Police Scotland
Sector: Public sector, behaviour change, campaign
Services: Film, strategy, concept, script, direction

Child sexual abuse is one of Police Scotland’s highest operational priorities. We created a campaign to tackle online grooming by targeting potential offenders directly, and crucially before they offend. Our tense, discomforting short film offers offenders a way out: “Get help or get caught”.

Read

Discover

In 2019/20 there were 5,331 recorded sexual offences against children in Scotland. And that number is rising annually. We learned that offenders downplay their behaviours and don’t see online interactions as ‘real’.

Develop

We had to show potential offenders that their ‘harmless’ behaviour is actually a serious crime with serious consequences. Working with MTP we produced a film that shocks by showing online behaviour in an offline setting.

Deliver

Our film was edited to suit media channels from Twitter to TikTok, and delivered to targeted individuals only. The film won 2021 Marketing Society STAR Awards for Marketing in Society and Digital Communication.

Even one case of child sexual abuse is too many. With a single, low budget social media campaign we brought the issue to national attention and persuaded 26 potential offenders to take the first step in addressing their behaviour.

500^k

film views

305^%

increase in website visits

30⁺

helpline calls from potential offenders

Facebook

Twitter

work