Johnny Foreigner's Michael J Ferns directs new ‘Ending the Harm’ campaign, launched in Northern Ireland to raise awareness of the devastating impact illegal money lenders have on the community.
The series of TV, radio and online adverts aims to address the 'societal shrug' towards some actions of organised criminal gangs operating under the trappings of paramilitaries.
They highlight the impact on victims, but also on their families, the local community, and wider society.
Michael says: “Although fictional, our protagonist acts as an avatar of the many vulnerable young people like her. She is a victim of circumstance. Of her poverty, of her premature responsibility, of the adult circumstances with which she contends. These environmental and social factors are not a justification for her worsening situation, they are precisely why she is vulnerable to callous predators who look to exploit her. One naive mistake shouldn’t set the course for your life. I hope that this campaign can shed light on this very present danger.”