THE CHALLENGE: Fishing around hydro-electric dams is dangerous business. Huge amounts of water can travel through opened gates, sometimes with little warning, and pose a very real danger to anyone on the waterways below. In the past there have been numerous near misses and a few more unfortunate events. Ontario Power and Generation take a very active role in spreading awareness of the dangers around the many dams they operate.
THE INSIGHT: Over the years OPG had tried various approaches to get the message through, but anglers can be tough nuts to crack. Many live or cottage close to the dams and consider themselves familiar with these waters and the timings of the dams. And, importantly, they believe there to be superior fishing close to the dam itself. So they take risks. We knew that shaming or shocking this group would not work but we also knew they were of an age to remember safety icons like Smokey the Bear, Elmer the Safety Elephant and yes, even Woodsy Owl. The messages these safety-obsessed animals imparted were easily digested and somehow felt more important and worthy of consideration than many other PSAs. They had the ability to appeal to young and old alike and their messages stuck with you. In part this was because they were consistent. Year after year they brought you the same message. They became part of the fabric, you internalized them and their messages. We would create a beaver with a love for fishing and a life altering back story. His name would be Dammy.
THE PLAN: Fishing season in Ontario begins in June. Our campaign would need to be ready to greet Ontario anglers (and their families) at the start of the season. When the decision was made to use traditional stop motion animation, the immediate choice for a production partner was famed animation studio Aardman (Wallace and Gromit, Chicken Run, Early Man). They took a strong interest in the boards and the final piece of the puzzle was in place. Dammy would tell his tale through song and we were lucky enough to get the help of legendary Canadian folk singer Ken Whiteley to tell our tale.
The media was timed and chosen to snag as many of our angling target as possible. Print ran in community newspapers close to dams, television was chosen in lead ups to weekends and on channels like OLN and targeted social made sure our message got delivered to the right audience at the right times.
THE RESULTS: Well it’s only been a month but the response so far has been massively positive. The 30 second version has already seen a sky high 65% completion rate. From Facebook to Instagram to YouTube, Dammy’s engagement numbers are well above norms. From industry press to extremely encouraging social engagement, Dammy’s story is certainly breaking through and seems to be resonating. Anglers are known for their patience and persistence so it will be important for Dammy to maintain a presence, reappearing at the start of each fishing season (including ice fishing) to remind Ontarians to ‘Stay Clear. Stay Safe.’
