Children surfing on the net come across situations that have the potential to destroy innocence and haunt them forever. The Saferinternet.pl Consortium (Nobody’s Children Foundation and NASK) in Poland commissioned two television commercials, Execution and Peepshow, to remind viewers about the need to protect children from online violence and pornography. The super at the end of each spot, “Protect your children from internet”, is a clumsy translation of the original Polish. The campaign aims at making Polish parents more conscious of what content their children can find, while using the Internet without any parental advisory. This could help adults determine what is and what is not appropriate for their children. Messages for the youngest Internet users will refer them to Sieciaki.pl project, where children can find answers to any doubts encountered when surfing. The motto of the overall campaign (print, online and television) is: “Internet is a window to the world. The WHOLE world”.
Execution
A blindfolded man is dragged out a house, trouserless, by soldiers. They throw him down near a newly dug grave and prepare to shoot him. As the moment of death approaches the soldiers are distracted by a boy in basketball shirt and cap, eating crisps, clearly out of place in the snowy landscape. “Hey! What are you doing here?” “I’m surfing. I’m just surfing on internet.”
Peepshow
A pole dancer’s routine is interrupted when she notices a young girl looking through the glass. “Hey what are you looking for?”, she asks. “I’m surfing. I’m just surfing on internet”. The super: “Protect your children from internet”.
Credits
The Child in the Net campaign was developed at McCann Erickson, Warsaw, by creative directors Iwona Kluszczynska, Wojciech Dagiel, copywriters Robert Olszewski and Magda Komorek, art director Blanka Lipinska, and agency producers Mira Klajnberg and Pawel Mrowka.
Filming was shot by La PAC director Frank Vroegop.
The Execution spot won a silver award at the Epica Awards 2007.