“We’re All F**ked”: A Cautionary Tale of the Dangers of AI Scams
New year, new scams. With AI growing by the second, we are facing an ever increasing number of scams. From dealing with deepfakes to becoming a target of a romance scam - like the recent case of the French woman conned out of $850,000 by a Brad Pitt impersonator using AI images - staying educated on the dangers of AI scams has never been more important.
In Canada, new research from British Columbia Securities Commission (BCSC) shows that 71% of British Columbians are worried about AI technology being used for investment frauds and scams, with 54% not knowing where to look for information about AI investment frauds and scams. In a bid to remedy this, BCSC joined forces with creative agency ONE23WEST to launch new campaign, “We Are All F**ked”. Powered by an anthemic ballad about what the future could look like if consumers don’t take the dangers of AI fraud seriously, the film aims to educate viewers on risk prevention and leave them with a lasting word of warning.
Getting the inside scoop on this innovative and informative campaign, LBB’s April Summers sat down with ONE23WEST founder, partner and ECD, Bryan Collins, and creative director, Kyle Waye. April learns how the team went above and beyond for this campaign, even going so far as to produce a music album to accompany the film and push the message further.
LBB> AI scams are a complex and evolving topic. How did you approach making such a complicated subject engaging and accessible for the target audience, particularly through the use of a catchy music video and absurd characters like a three-headed accountant and a catfish?
Bryan> When we initially researched the impact of AI as part of the brief, the results were bleak. It’s coming for jobs, creating misinformation, and of course, it’s putting us at heightened risk of scams. It was clear that to reach people we had to show that we understood how they were feeling, even though what they were feeling was something brands wouldn’t usually touch: the overwhelming sentiment around AI? “We’re all fucked.”
We realised the best way to do this would be to contrast the hopelessness people were feeling with the uplifting, uniting, and inspiring format of an anthemic song. And once we drew people in, we knew we could flip the narrative to “we’re not all f**ked,’ because the BCSC can help people spot and avoid AI investment scams.”
LBB> The lyrics of “We Are All F**ked” are a clever combination of dark humour, music, and AI-themed messaging. Can you walk us through the songwriting process? How did you work to capture both the urgency of the AI scam issue and the satirical, tongue-in-cheek tone that the music conveys?
Kyle> We started by doing as much research as possible about the way people were feeling about AI and what types of AI investment scams were affecting them most. Armed with that research, we went into writing the song. We looked at some of the most beloved anthems from the past for inspiration, knowing it was important that the song felt relatable to the audience for the message to really land. We then wrote the lyrics, making sure we got the education down, without losing the humour. And then we worked with Walker Music to compose the music.
LBB> The campaign takes on a significant educational role—what strategy did you use to ensure the message was clear and actionable for the audience, especially considering that 54% of people aren’t sure where to look for information about AI scams?
Bryan> Education was the most important part of this campaign. So, even as we focused on creating something entertaining and relatable to draw people in, we prioritized the most common AI investment scams to highlight in our lyrics and video. Then as the song became its most inspirational musically, we made sure we gave people the most important steps to protect themselves from AI investment scams, before driving them to our website for more information. We also wrote an entire album of supporting songs, that go into detail about each major AI investment scam and put them on every major streaming platform.
LBB> With the campaign targeting a local issue in British Columbia, how did you ensure the themes and messages resonated on a broader scale, particularly with universal concerns about AI risks and fraud?
Bryan> The campaign may be in-market in British Columbia, but the themes are relevant to people around the world. Canadians lost a staggering $530 million to fraud and cybercrime in 2022, a 40 per cent increase from 2021. And only 5 to 10 percent of victims report fraud, CAFC data shows. We worked with BCSC to identify some of the most common AI scams - like AI deepfakes, voice, and romance scams to name a few - so that the song could appeal broadly. This feeling is universal, and the scams are happening everywhere, so we knew the song would resonate as much inside Canada as out, and we were happy to extend the message to anyone who could benefit from it.
LBB> What did you enjoy about working on this campaign? And what aspects of the project felt like new and unique experiences for ONE23WEST?
Kyle> It was exciting to be a part of such a brave idea with our client. And thanks to them getting on board so fully from the start, we got a very enthusiastic response from some of the most talented production partners in the world, like Radke Film, Steve Ayson, Walker Music, and the Embassy VFX. As they brought their passion and expertise and vision to the work, the idea got better and better every step of the way.
Visit AvoidAIScams.ca to learn that in fact, "We’re Not All F**ed". The website includes more information about the types of AI investment scams and tips for how to protect yourself.
