Virgin

BOGUS BRANSONS: SCAM PSA

Like many public figures, the train, cruise and space-travel enthusiast Sir Richard Branson often had people committing fraud in his name. And when a particular £1.5m scam became the proverbial straw, he took action.

With fraud topping UK crime stats and costing consumers £190bn, Sir Richard’s usual vlogs and posts weren’t doing the job, so we adopted a new approach that stayed true to Virgin’s upbeat, entertaining tone.

‘BEWARE BOGUS BRANSONS’ CAMPAIGN FILM

Voiced by Sir Richard, the film launched on his blog and was quickly picked up by major newspapers, regional news sites, and cybersecurity blogs.

Results:

  • Over 7 million organic views

  • >50% view-through rate

  • 1,000% increase in reports to Virgin’s scam hotline.

  • Cut-downs extended the reach on social media, generating numerous personal messages of thanks to Sir Richard

MY ROLE: CREATIVE DIRECTOR, ANIMATION DIRECTOR

“It’s been fantastic to see the positive reaction to this animation. It’s building awareness and encouraging people to report.”

Sir Richard Branson