The 50-second execution is based on research revealing that you are more likely to be wounded by your own blade if you carry a knife.
The action opens on a young man racing down the street being chased by an assailant. As the chase progresses, the viewer catches glimpses of the man's pursuer, but at the end of the ad, it transpires that his attacker is in fact himself.
The campaign, which is being seeded on YouTube, was written by Milo Campbell and art directed by Sonny Adorjan. Kevin Thomas directed the spot through Thomas Thomas.
Comments
More likely to be wounded by your own blade? More likely than what exactly? Someone not carrying a knife, obviously. I expect you're more likely to be wounded by one of your own kitchen knives, while cooking too. More likely than someone else's knife certainly. And even then, not in the neck.
Ok, I'm being a pedant, but I think, while there may be a good point, the delivery is poor. If you watched the ad without the message, you wouldn't have a clue what they were on about. Man chases and stabs himself? Maybe, they're identical twins that have fallen out? It's beyond the realm realism and believability and will probably pass right over the target market's heads.
Liam - 15/07/2008
Remember Giles that they aren’t obviously trying to appeal to you or the Campaign audience, they are trying to appeal to youth which i think the ad does. This ad is gripping enough to be watched in its entirety until the message is delivered, although the creative and execution is effective the message isn’t strong enough as I don’t think many kids will take much notice of accidentally stabbing themselves.
People who carry blades are more likely to be involved in a knife-related crime. Giles, the message is supposed to go with the ad to make it complete. It's like a movie without the script. Think.
It's nicely shot and pacey. But the kind of guys who are carrying knives on our estates just won't believe that they are more likely to "be stabbed by your own blade". Their bravado makes them feel invincible – partly because they're carrying. A good try, but ultimately a waste of money. I hate to say it, but I don't think spending money on ads is going to make any difference to this terrible problem.
There are of course bigger issues behind the apparent rise in knife crime (poverty and disenfranchised youth), and they need long term solutions. In the short term this work aims to discourage people from carrying knives, and I think does the job well enough. However, I am worried that the more of a heinous crime we make carrying a knife, then the more a badge of honor it will become.
I think the spot is pretty nice. Although I would have loved to see more close-ups, in order to get more emotional connection.
But IMO, the tagline is a bit too loose and vague. If the Met is promoting this fact, surely they could come up with some hard statistics.
Something along the lines of "90% of people carrying knives are wounded by their own weapon. Why carry one?". Or something.
Im not keen on this. It wasn't shocking, didnt make me stop and at the end of the day the youngster whom this is actually aimed at are more likely to be on the streets when this is on, not watching TV. They have lousy family lives and are trying to keep away from it.
More money should be pumped into educating at younger levels and also on parenting classes (which should be compulsary to all teen parents). I dont see why there is a need for broadcasting this other than to scare us more than we already are (it's amazing how media can create so much hype). An ad is not going to fix anything and in all fairness to AMVBBDO it is a rubbish brief. At the end of the day, more action needs to be taken and making a tv ad is not action, its a way for the goverment to look as if they are actually doing something.
Why don't the goverment try to sort out poverty issues and family issues and all the reason why these people are in this situation in the first place
Very well delivered and slightly chilling, to me, someone who does not live the lives these young people live. I think it's great, provided it's part of an integrated campaign by the government, not just a tangible medium to offer to the public so the heat is taken off them for a while...
Quite confronting all the same, but I am not a member of the type of audience they are trying to move...
Jane Moore - 15/07/2008
Why don't the goverment try to sort out poverty issues and family issues and all the reason why these people are in this situation in the first place
Hell why didn't they think of that! Is this a spoof? Please say a real person isn't this naive.
Comments
Giles Stafford - 15/07/2008
More likely to be wounded by your own blade? More likely than what exactly? Someone not carrying a knife, obviously. I expect you're more likely to be wounded by one of your own kitchen knives, while cooking too. More likely than someone else's knife certainly. And even then, not in the neck. Ok, I'm being a pedant, but I think, while there may be a good point, the delivery is poor. If you watched the ad without the message, you wouldn't have a clue what they were on about. Man chases and stabs himself? Maybe, they're identical twins that have fallen out? It's beyond the realm realism and believability and will probably pass right over the target market's heads.
Liam - 15/07/2008
Remember Giles that they aren’t obviously trying to appeal to you or the Campaign audience, they are trying to appeal to youth which i think the ad does. This ad is gripping enough to be watched in its entirety until the message is delivered, although the creative and execution is effective the message isn’t strong enough as I don’t think many kids will take much notice of accidentally stabbing themselves.
Alex Goldberg - 15/07/2008
People who carry blades are more likely to be involved in a knife-related crime. Giles, the message is supposed to go with the ad to make it complete. It's like a movie without the script. Think.
Richard Hayter - 15/07/2008
It's nicely shot and pacey. But the kind of guys who are carrying knives on our estates just won't believe that they are more likely to "be stabbed by your own blade". Their bravado makes them feel invincible – partly because they're carrying. A good try, but ultimately a waste of money. I hate to say it, but I don't think spending money on ads is going to make any difference to this terrible problem.
Mike Blunt - 15/07/2008
There are of course bigger issues behind the apparent rise in knife crime (poverty and disenfranchised youth), and they need long term solutions. In the short term this work aims to discourage people from carrying knives, and I think does the job well enough. However, I am worried that the more of a heinous crime we make carrying a knife, then the more a badge of honor it will become.
Gerrie Smits - 15/07/2008
I think the spot is pretty nice. Although I would have loved to see more close-ups, in order to get more emotional connection. But IMO, the tagline is a bit too loose and vague. If the Met is promoting this fact, surely they could come up with some hard statistics. Something along the lines of "90% of people carrying knives are wounded by their own weapon. Why carry one?". Or something.
Jane Moore - 15/07/2008
Im not keen on this. It wasn't shocking, didnt make me stop and at the end of the day the youngster whom this is actually aimed at are more likely to be on the streets when this is on, not watching TV. They have lousy family lives and are trying to keep away from it. More money should be pumped into educating at younger levels and also on parenting classes (which should be compulsary to all teen parents). I dont see why there is a need for broadcasting this other than to scare us more than we already are (it's amazing how media can create so much hype). An ad is not going to fix anything and in all fairness to AMVBBDO it is a rubbish brief. At the end of the day, more action needs to be taken and making a tv ad is not action, its a way for the goverment to look as if they are actually doing something.
Jane Moore - 15/07/2008
Why don't the goverment try to sort out poverty issues and family issues and all the reason why these people are in this situation in the first place
Janelle Yates - 17/07/2008
Very well delivered and slightly chilling, to me, someone who does not live the lives these young people live. I think it's great, provided it's part of an integrated campaign by the government, not just a tangible medium to offer to the public so the heat is taken off them for a while... Quite confronting all the same, but I am not a member of the type of audience they are trying to move...
johnny rambleton - 21/07/2008
Jane Moore - 15/07/2008 Why don't the goverment try to sort out poverty issues and family issues and all the reason why these people are in this situation in the first place Hell why didn't they think of that! Is this a spoof? Please say a real person isn't this naive.