M&C Saatchi caused a bit of a stir last year when it used stencil art in Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland to tell some extraordinary police stories. That work, created by Otis Frizzell, received some international media attention (and, in Auckland, some attention from taggers). And the latest phase of the campaign builds on that idea, with TVC, radio, online, and ambient/out of home activity that aims to challenge prevailing perceptions of what it takes to become a cop.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4dxjCjhpFA“Art has the ability to challenge everyday thought and help people see things differently,” says executive creative director and newly announced joint chief executive Dave King. “In the next few months we’ll be unveiling new stories, each with a different perspective on policing to inspire the next generation of recruits”
The agency was asked to find culturally savvy police recruits with problem solving skills, empathy and a strong desire to help their communities for the campaign. The first story, which is depicted in the Watford Street Carpark in Otara Mall, is that of a Tongan officer who prevented a young mother, plagued by visions, from acting out thoughts of suicide.
When Constable Lio Kaihau arrived to attend to the distressed woman, she was in a room by herself, and was feeling very isolated. He says, “I tried to strike up a conversation with her, but she remained quiet and withdrawn. I knew she was in a dark place but I kept trying to find some common ground.”
His persistence paid off. The woman explained that she saw demons crawling around her bedroom walls at night that spoke to her and told her she was worthless. Constable Kaihau drew on his background, his culture and his values, to offer whatever help he could.
“In that critical moment I recognised that we had a shared faith and I used this to help her.”
Constable Kaihau’s message to his community and to those considering policing as a career is: “When you become a cop, you don’t lose who you are, you use who you are to help people.”
You can watch the full documentary, as well as some clips showing the inspiration behind last year’s campaign, here.
Credits: NZ Police – Lio’s Story
Client – Campbell Moore & Russell Pilcher
Executive Creative Director – Dave King
Senior Art Director – James Bowman
Senior Copywriter – Nicci Doak
Account Director – Christina Mossaidis
Account Manager – Lacey Swanepoel
Studio – Sean Collier
Artist – Otis Frizzell
Film Company – String Theory
Executive Producer – Nick Barnes
Director – Leanne Pooley
DOP – Renaud Maire
Edit – Phillipe Lods
Music – Liquid Studios
Media – Ikon Communications
