SYNOPSIS OF FILMS

 

Around 190 people die each year at the UK and Irish coasts, and most of those who drown are men. 

 

The RNLI – the charity that saves live at sea -  want to change this upsetting static, and have a goal to reduce coastal drownings by 2024. 

 

Respect the Water is the RNLI’s national drowning prevention campaign, which targets men and encourages them to take more care around the water. To ensure this campaign was seen, and felt to be relevant, by the  target audience of 16 – 39 year old males, the RNLI partnered up with TheLADbible, a publisher whose scale and popularity would provide a resonant platform for their safety message to reach its audience.

 

The RNLI’s core initiative Respect The Water manifested through an integrated campaign across TheLADbible’s ecosystem, with videos leading the communications plan.

 

Together, we wanted to find a way to make the dangers of the water feel very real to young men – and show that that drowning, could happen to them.  To do this, we created 3 short documentaries that told real stories from men their age -who had found themselves in difficulty in the water.  We wanted relatable and authentic content, which would cut through to this hard to reach group, and really make them think again about the dangers of the water.

 

1. Anthony’s Story told the poignant tale of one young man who tragically lost his life after a late night swim with friends. 

Link to original Facebook post with the documentary episode

 

2. Marcos, a budding footballer, was caught off guard by a strong wave whilst jogging along the coast.

Link to original Facebook post with the documentary episode

 

3. Louis, a brave RNLI volunteer, risks his life to save others.

Link to original Facebook post with the documentary episode

 

Cinematic and respectful, the videos successfully triggered a deep emotional response - evident in the active stream of supportive comments, stirring an entire social community.

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The films were launched in sequence on TheLADbible channels during the 'Respect the Water' campaign period (June – Sept 2016), to ensure we continued to talk to young men during the summer months, when men are most at risk of drowning. 

 

And we didn’t stop there, the documentaries have been supported by editorial pieces on TheLADbible platform, which gave detailed accounts on the dangers of the water, and what to do to stay safe.

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The stats around coastal drowning are truly shocking

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This is how quickly you can die from drowning

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Have you ever wondered what it feels like to drown?

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This is what it feels like to save someone from drowning

 

CLIENT OBJECTIVES

 

We wanted to reach 16-39 year old men with water safety advice in a relevant and engaging way so that the next time they were at the coast/by the river that they would think again about how to act around the water, and know what to do to keep themselves and their mates safe.

 

The content needed to be delivered in a tone that appealed to its intended audience editorially, yet with a consideration for the heritage, history and tone of the RNLI.

 

The brief demanded us to create insight-led storytelling and reactive editorial which would challenge reckless behavior, educate a young audience about respecting the water, and encourage this demographic to demonstrate a concern for the welfare of others.

 

RESULTS

 

The reach alone is significant, having exceeded 4.2 million views on the TheLADbible’s Facebook newsfeed to date.

 

Yet arguably the most encouraging result is the positive supportive community reaction, with Engagement rates showing the extent to which people were moved by the content. Compelled to spread the water safety message to friends, relatives and loved ones. 40k+ share, likes and reactions, and 3k comments. The sentiment was overwhelmingly positive, with many tagging their friends to warn of dangers.