The problem

Scammers were impersonating Sir Richard Branson and targeting people on his, and Virgin’s, social channels.

An animated cartoon character with blond hair and beard holding a digital tablet with a fake advertisement reading "Veryin" and "Click Here" offering "Free Cash" and "Cash Free". One of Carina Martins case studies.

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.

Animated illustration of a man with long blond hair and beard looking at a large dinosaur with a Bitcoin logo on its belly, appearing to speak or sing. The dinosaur's mouth is open, showing sharp teeth, with pink and yellow colors in the background.

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.

Two identical cartoon characters with blond hair, beards, and white shirts shaking hands against a blue background.

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).

Cartoon illustration of a man with long blond hair and beard, wearing a white shirt, smiling and gesturing with his right arm extended, against a blue background.

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