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General Information:
Strategic approach:
Strategic approach: Domestic burglaries have reached a flattening trend in the last 3 years in Romania.
PROPERTY CRIME RATES GENERALLY RISE DURING RECESSIONS AND FALL DURING RECOVERIES.
First months of 2020: Even though, we were locked in our homes, no. of burglaries have decreased with only -16,16% (Jan-April 2020 vs. same period 2019), while in other countries fell by over -50%.
Econometric modelling (and 2008 financial crisis data) suggests that burglaries could increase double digits, over their pre-pandemic level as a result of the additional economic strain caused by COVID-19 measures.
THE SITUATION WAS WORSENED by knowing that over 80% of Romanians don’t have a security system installed in their homes and once the lockdown restrictions would be removed people would be eager to finally exit their homes and leave them unattended to their predators.
Our Challenge was to counterbalance the expected increasing no. of burglaries by persuading homeowners about the upcoming risks with a zero budget campaign.

Meaning = fight for attention (burglary vs. pandemic) to talk about a perceptually non-existent problem (people locked in their homes) and give some advice (over-saturation of advice coming from authorities) to a target eager to finally exit their homes.

You may think that the “victims” are the naive elders who are fooled by burglars using fake identities/stories to get access into their houses (“the maintenance guys” from the electricity providing company, or “the guys from pest control”). Actually, they only represent 2.6% of total burglaries.

THIEVES DON’T ACT RANDOMLY, THEY CHOOSE CAREFULLY BASED ON REWARDS VS. ASSOCIATED RISKS: homeowners with high potential (20-54 y.o with a certain financial situation), who own valuables and high disregard to their own security.

What makes them potential victims: The majority don’t have security systems installed in their homes, they don’t perceive the risks of being burgled, are deniers with an "it won't happen to me" mentality, are negligent and careless - showing or even bragging about their valuables. Their own behavior increases their exposure.

They are THE OVER-EXPOSED: over-exposed people in over-exposed houses. Their behavior makes them vulnerable, their passivity regarding security is doubled by their active showing off.

Due to the small decrease of burglaries in the first 4 months of the year (lockdown months 15 March-15 May are weighting less than 17% in the total no. of domestic burglaries/year) and the expected double-digit increase after restrictive measures removed (seasonal peak months: July&August), the Romanian Police was expecting an increasing overall no. of burglaries in 2020 reaching at least the level of 2019 (optimistic scenario).

Objectives:

1. Raise people’s awareness on the topic at national level, measured by the no. of people exposed to the campaign = reach 40% of Romanians = 7 million of Romanians with the message with no media budget, meaning the same level as our previous campaigns

2. Stop the expected double-digit increase (min.+10%) over the pre-pandemic level, in the months after restrictive measures lifted: June-July-August 2020 (expected no.of burglaries 2020 (6129) vs. same period 2019 (2019 = 5.572 burglaries)

3. Keep the overall numbers of burglaries in 2020 at least the level of 2019 (2019 total no. burglaries = 22.648)

STRATEGY: Authenticity
CULTURAL INSIGHT: During the lockdown, Romanians were way more present on social media, posted and interacted with others more than before. Physical social distancing turned into digital social closeness and openness by sharing their lives on social media, blurring the boundaries between personal and public. It became a sign of authenticity to show themselves as they were & hide nothing.
THEY SHARED EVERYTHING: from selfies made in different rooms to Facebook Lives presenting new indoor routines, to InstaStories with their latest acquisitions to TikTok challenges on presenting their “safe nest = homes”.
While doing this they didn’t realize they were showing much more than just a picture or a movie, they actually were showcasing their valuables, apartments, yards and even plans (vacation plane tickets). It was like showing a burglar the rewards and creating a “how to” guide for them.
STRATEGIC APPROACH:
Create a digital social experiment which would make the Over-Exposed realize that their own behavior is increasing their vulnerability and their chances of being burgled. Use their own behavior to prove it.
Execution:
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