Negligence Leaves Ash on Human Hands in Forest Fire Prevention Spot

Today, LG2 launches a powerful campaign to raise awareness of forest fire prevention in Quebec, in its first collaboration with the Société de protection des forêts contre le feu (SOPFEU). The campaign, the first of its kind in Quebec, highlights the fact that 80% of forest fires are caused by human activities, and that each and every one of us has a role to play in preventing these incidents. Deployed on various platforms since the end of April, the initiative focuses on raising collective awareness through a powerful image: Causing a forest fire leaves ashes on your hands.

“SOPFEU is proud to have launched the largest awareness campaign in its history. Today, more than ever, forest fire prevention is becoming an unavoidable issue. Our collaboration with LG2 enabled us to strike the right chords to convince the public of the relevance of our message. This campaign was made possible thanks to the financial participation of the Government of Quebec.” said Stéphane Caron, prevention and communications coordinator, SOPFEU.

Under the evocative theme 'Avoid Avoidable Fires', SOPFEU seeks to draw the public's attention to its collective responsibility, highlighting the three main causes of forest fire outbreaks in Quebec: loss of control over waste burning (75 fires/year), fires caused by discarded cigarette butts (80 fires/year) and poorly extinguished campfires (60 fires/year). At the heart of this integrated campaign is a striking video concept that invites us to reflect deeply on the consequences of our actions. By turning the famous adage 'having blood on your hands' on its head, the ad highlights the long-term impact of our behaviour on the environment and the safety of others.

The 30-second spot, which is in French, says, “Causing a forest fire, leaves ashes on your hands. 80% of forest fires are caused by human negligence. Waste burning. Cigarette butts. Campfires. Stop preventable fires.” A 15-second version is being used for digital placements, and is supplemented by a series of English posters to help spread awareness throughout the province.

“Like everyone else, we were marked by the fires of summer 2023. We therefore saw the arrival of this mandate as an immense privilege to be able to participate in the fight against forest fires with our ideas. From the very first meeting with the SOPFEU team, it was clear to us that the statistic '80% of fires are man-made' was going to be the driving force behind the creation. We absolutely had to make the public realise that the majority of forest fires are preventable. From there, we looked for visuals that would make people think about the impact of human negligence.” said Christine Larouche, partner, senior director, strategy, LG2.