The problem
Scammers were impersonating Sir Richard Branson and targeting people on his, and Virgin’s, social channels.
The brief
Find a way of alerting people to the very serious issue of online fraud in a tone that felt true to the brand’s playful spirit.
The strategy
Working with Creative Director Gavin Leisfield, we decided the most effective route would be a short, eye-catching, animation which would sit on Virgin.com and its related social channels.
The creative
My script focused on the idea that even the most trusted people can’t be taken at face value. As the real Sir Richard unmasks each lookalike scammer, he makes direct reference to some of the ploys they use. Educational, entertaining and undoubtedly enhanced by the voiceover artist - yes, Sir Richard himself (the real one).
The results
The film had over 7 million views and achieved more than 50% view-throughs. The CTA prompted viewers to report any concerns and this resulted in a 1000% increase in calls to Virgin’s dedicated scam hotline.
It was picked up by several national and regional newspapers, as well as cybersecurity blogs. Comments thanked Sir Richard, and Virgin, for raising awareness of scammers’ tactics.
“It’s been fantastic to see the positive reaction to this animation. It is building awareness of the scams out there and encouraging people to report the scammers.”
Sir Richard Branson