Jimi’s Legend Series
Eastern Bays Road Safety Programme
Issue 38 | March 2016
Agency
Clemenger BBDO/Proximity
Creative Team
Executive Creative Director Brigid Alkema Content Creators Frances Cooke Jimi Jackson Millicent Malcolm
Production Team
Flare Director Brigid Alkema Producer Martin Gray Editor Dan Monaghan Sound Paul Stent
Other Credits
Group Account Director Linda Major Account Director Bethany Omeri
Date
September 2015
Background
The demographic group most at risk of drink-driving accidents in New Zealand were young drivers. After a few drinks it was easy to make the wrong call.
The problem was that this target group rejected any governmental message. They distrusted authority and responded badly to being told how to behave.
The task was to get this cynical audience to spread the government message themselves and encourage mates to stop one of their own from driving drunk.
Idea
To get this hard-to-reach audience, the solution was to turn to Jimi Jackson, a content creator and YouTuber whose comedy was based on impersonating everyday people through the eyes of a young Kiwi. His following of 500,000+ had learned to trust him.
In a series of skits Jimi Jackson showed how to stop a drunk from driving. The videos were authentically 'Jimi' and shot in his style, lo-fi, short and selfie. And there was no branding or logos.
Jimi released 15 skits to his Facebook page over two weeks. There was no paid media or promotion. As more people tagged and shared the videos, more people were drawn to the content.
Results
The videos had over 2.7 million views, 9,100 shares, 5,500 comments, creating thousands of anti-drink driving advocates. People identified with the moments created. They shared and tagged the videos, spreading the message and sparking conversation about different ways to stop someone driving drunk. People used the skits as tools to actively call out their mates and have direct conversations with them about drink-driving.
Our Thoughts
There is a lot of antipathy in some agencies to ‘native advertising’. There is an assumption that there is a total absence of an idea. You just get a content creator to deliver the message on Facebook and YouTube and the punters are so gullible, they’ll lap it up.
Pshaw! It’s the very opposite. To really work, the message has to be delivered in a way that is culturally relevant. And Jimi has an in-your-face, ‘couldn’t-givea-f**k’ attitude that must surely alienate anyone middle class and middle-aged. So he’s perfect casting here. Besides which several of the skits are very funny.