Campaign from Will Shows How One Conversation Can Stop Online Predators

Since the outbreak of covid-19, kids are spending more time online, with apps and social media becoming a bigger part of their social lives than ever before. And sexual predators have taken notice. The United Nations estimates that on any given day 750,000 individuals are online trying to connect with children for sexual purposes.

In response to the increased threat of online sexual abuse, Children of the Street, a program working to prevent the sexual exploitation of children and youth, partnered with creative agency Will to launch a new campaign encouraging parents to talk their kids about online safety to stop predators.

The campaign consists of a series of OOH, social, and video ads that show a speech bubble protecting a child from an eerie sea of looming predatory hands. 

“This year, we wanted to focus on the scale of the issue,” said Will executive creative director Lisa Lebedovich. “It’s not just a few bad people online — it’s an army of them. But more importantly, we wanted to highlight how one conversation about online safety has the power to protect vulnerable kids from online predators.”

Parent’s awareness of online sexual exploitation is growing, but many are still unsure how to take action to keep their children safe. 

“The reality is online exploitation can happen even if parents are in the same room as their children. Supervision and safety features aren’t a replacement for talking to your kids about online safety and what to watch out for,” said Jen Graham, communications manager at Children of the Street.

The eight-week campaign, which runs in Greater Vancouver, directs parents to the campaign landing page at havethetalk.ca, where parents can learn how to start the online safety conversation with their kids.