DDB Canada unleashes Crime Stoppers campaign

Seems nothing speaks louder than cash. At least that's the thinking behind the new PSA campaign headed by Toronto's DDB Canada for Toronto Crime Stoppers, the community program with the anonymous tip line. And as part of future discussions, ads may someday be running in holding cells.

Unveiled today at police headquarters in downtown Toronto, the new campaign trades an up to $500 cash reward for anonymous tips leading to the seizure of an illegal or crime-related handgun. And in the year dubbed by many as the 'year of the gun,' the campaign couldn't have come at a better time. Andrew Simon, VP/CD at DDB Canada, says: 'We wanted [the creative] to have a targeted experience - to other criminals and to the general community.'
By Pia Musngi
October 6, 2005

Seems nothing speaks louder than cash. At least that’s the thinking behind the new PSA campaign headed by Toronto’s DDB Canada for Toronto Crime Stoppers, the community program with the anonymous tip line. And as part of future discussions, ads may someday be running in holding cells.

Unveiled today at police headquarters in downtown Toronto, the new campaign trades an up to $500 cash reward for anonymous tips leading to the seizure of an illegal or crime-related handgun. And in the year dubbed by many as the ‘year of the gun,’ the campaign couldn’t have come at a better time. Andrew Simon, VP/CD at DDB Canada, says: ‘We wanted [the creative] to have a targeted experience – to other criminals and to the general community.’

OOH and print executions show oversized handguns in places where police tend to find them. The call to action suggests that gun violence is a community problem and urges everyone to get involved in the fight. The OOH executions can be found throughout Toronto on subway platforms, billboards and garbage cans. Print and radio spots are also in rotation beginning today. And it was a conscious decision to leave people out of the creative so as not to depict a certain type of person or group.

DDB called on its partnership network to make this campaign – done pro bono – as powerful as possible. The result is the production of PSAs and media supplied by 19 media and print production partners such as: 24 hours, Astral Media Outdoor, 1050 CHUM AM, 104.5 CHUM FM, Clockwork Productions, Eye Weekly, Eucan Canada, Gallop & Gallop Advertising, Grassroots Advertising, GSI Imaging, The National Post, OMD Canada, Parker Pad & Printing, Pattison Outdoor Advertising, Schawk Cactus, Toronto Sun, Viacom Outdoor Canada, Z1035 Today’s HIT Music and Zoom Media.

Simon explains that DDB and Crime Stoppers have forged a long-term partnership and promises more campaigns in the future. ‘[Crime Stoppers and Toronto police] said to us: ‘If we can get just one gun off the street, then we’re successful.”

Lorne Simon, chair of Toronto Crime Stoppers, says: ‘Can this campaign be too successful? Well, yes. It could use up all of our cash reserves. But that just means we need to do more fundraising.’ Simon says in the long run, he wants DDB to do a campaign targeted to youth. This is the first time Toronto Crime Stoppers has worked with DDB Canada.