Sharpe Blackmore Euro RSCG’s work for the Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Canada wants to be a recruitment campaign, but succeeds first in confusing. EarlyBloomers.ca will eventually redirect you to BBBS’s homepage, but not before showing you a few videos featuring profiles of “mentors” volunteering for Early Bloomers.
Each “volunteer” is a wayward teen who, based on their commentary, should never be within arms-reach of anyone younger than 25. The goal appears to be getting viewers to volunteer their time, just an hour a week (which you find out if you’re willing to wade through the site) so that in-need kids won’t grow up with delinquents for mentors. Nice premise, awkward payoff.
It’s not the site that lacks so much as its message — the theme treats the viewer as a parent seeking a mentoring program for his or her child. After the shenanigans the site redirects to BBBSC.ca/earlybloomers where videos of actual mentors are shown.
The message says: Look at how bad kids have it, won’t you be the difference? But the litany of videos and odd messaging could lose potential clients if only due to the site’s lack of precision.
It redeems itself by pointing out that kids have only their peers for guidance — a truth not often mentioned in this type of campaign.
Credits after the jump.
Creative Director: Ron Tite
Associate Creative Director: Michael Willson
Writer: James Roussel, Todd Aiken, Ron Tite, Ethan Cole, Jamie Lamb
Art Director: Mike Sundell, Michael Willson
Producer: Barb Gibson, Stephanie Bowen
Production: Cartilage
Director: Jamie Way
DOP: Ian Leech
Editor: Brian Noon, Traffik