Devon & Cornwall Police

Using humour to take on digital fraud and scams

Research
Advertising
Public Safety

Devon & Cornwall Police approached us with a difficult problem: young people are now more likely to be targeted by scammers than any other age group. We created a campaign about digital fraud and scams that used humour to make a serious message stick.

Campaign received national news coverage from ITV and BBC news.

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Real insights from young people built the campaign messaging.

Multi-channel campaign across social media and on the streets with posters across Devon & Cornwall

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Challenge

Devon & Cornwall Police wanted a relatable campaign that would resonate with young people as they are targeted by fraudsters and scammers more than any other generation

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    Outcomes

    Our students were well placed to understand how 16 to 24-year-olds think about digital fraud and scams. They quickly gave the client clear insights into young people’s experiences online.

    The campaign set out to challenge a dangerous assumption: that scams only happen to other people. “Scam Animals” used humour across posters and social media videos to show that anyone can become a target of scams. Our students' ideas were shaped by their own experiences and insights leading to a relatable campaign that also gave them valuable experience of working on a live brief.

    The final campaign appeared on bus stops and Meta ads, helping Devon & Cornwall Police reach the audience they needed to engage. It also gave the police a stronger understanding of how to communicate with Gen Z while supporting efforts to tackle digital fraud and scams.

    The campaign launched at The Big Sheep, where students from our BA Media Production course documented the day alongside BBC and ITV News. In this clip Det. Sgt. Tona Pooley and Comms. Officer Rob Simmonds talk about the impact of digital fraud and scams, and what it meant to work with Be Good:

    Faculty Team

    Joel Ferguson, Lucy Cokes

    Student Involved

    Amelia Belam, Louis Brown, Charli Li

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