The British government’s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology has developed the “You Won’t Know until You Ask” campaign, providing U.K. parents with practical support they can use immediately and the confidence they need to have conversations with their children about the content they see online.
The campaign comes as a direct response to parents who have been calling out for support on how to navigate their children’s use of social media. New government-commissioned research shows that half of British parents admit having never spoken to their children about harmful online content, despite 90% of 11-year-olds now owning a smartphone.
Created by TMW, part of Accenture Song, the campaign will run across TV, online video, display, search, radio, social and DOOH. The creative campaign will raise awareness of how insidious body-shaming, misogynistic and rage bait content is, whilst providing parents with the impetus to communicate with their children (aged 8-14, all genders).
In this hero film–directed by Zak Razvi via Greenroom Films–we see a teenage boy on the sofa. As the camera zooms in towards him, the voiceover describes the types of harmful content he sees on his phone while an ordinary family morning continues around him. The voiceover then questions, “Is your child influenced by toxic content? You won’t know, until you ask.” The :30 will run across VOD and social. (Razvi is an alum of SHOOT’s 2016 New Directors Showcase.)
The campaign encourages parents to engage with new guidance that has been made available, all backed by behavioral research and academic insights. This includes conversation prompts and age-appropriate advice for tackling misinformation and harmful content, including rage bait and misogyny. The aim is to encourage media literacy in parents and children, developing an understanding of what content is out there, and why kids might see it.
While the campaign provides immediate support for parents, this launches alongside a National Conversation and consultation on children’s digital wellbeing, with the government engaging directly with parents and children across the country to shape longer-term measures.
The creative campaign will initially launch as a pilot in Yorkshire and the Midlands, giving the government the opportunity to consult and learn from families before exploring rolling out a national campaign.
Elinor Jones, managing partner at TMW, said, “So many parents have fears about the way their children engage with online content, but they often feel in the dark about the specifics. Through this campaign, we’re seeking to change that. By equipping them with the insight and language that allows them to have necessary conversations, we’re hoping to encourage kids to think critically about what they see online.”
