Due to an increase in wilful fire-raising, the Grampian Fire & Rescue Service was looking for a way to reach out to youngsters while giving talks in schools. As a class at university we were tasked with pitching a triad of banners that could be used in a variety of situations.
After researching awareness campaigns, humour seemed to be an untapped method in catching youngsters off guard, and this led to a campaign centred around a little curmudgeon named Fletcher.
I was keen not to over-intellectualise the problem, and so Fletcher was designed to talk bluntly to the issue, contrasting the senseless causes and serious effects of fire misadventure.
Each banner is the set up of what sounds like a good joke but has none of the punchline, leaving audiences with an uncomfortable aftertaste.
This proved an effective method when tested and Fletcher was selected as the winning campaign to be used throughout the region.
