Preaching safety to a jaded, overconfident youth demographic poses a daunting marketing task. Messages promoting safe-sex practices—most notably condom use—often seem to fall upon deaf ears, but the latest MTV "Fight For Your Rights" campaign will likely break through with thought-provoking humor that gives the ads a fighting chance to reach even the most inattentive teenager.
"Roller Coaster," one of the campaign’s three :30s, opens in an amusement park where we see and hear roller coaster passengers screaming as they make an upside-down loop. At the loading station, the next group of thrill seekers is getting ready for the wild ride—but a teenager sitting in the front row holds things up by refusing to wear the safety harness.
"No, not tonight," he says.
"What are you saying?" replies the grizzled old man who runs the ride.
"Don’t want to wear one tonight. Anyway, I’m too big."
"But it’s dangerous," cautions the ride attendant.
"I find these things so restricting," says the boy, pointing to the overhead harness. "I want to be free. I want to feel everything."
"Why does it have to be all about you?" objects the attendant.
"I just want to make this time special," explains the teenager, kissing his finger and placing it on the lips of the older man.
The attendant gives in. "All right, just this once," he says, pressing the start button.
Against a backdrop of the roller coaster running at breakneck speed, a super appears: "Stop making excuses. Always use protection."
A scream is heard in the background and when the roller coaster returns, the young man’s seat is empty. Parting text that reads, "Fight For Your Rights. Protect Yourself," is accompanied by a Web site address (FightForYourRights.mtv.com).
The other two spots of the campaign are similarly themed, showing activities (mountain climbing, swimming in shark-infested waters) where people would have to be insane to refuse protection. The concept came from a team at London ad agency Mother, which worked in tandem with Santa Monica-based Public Interest Productions, a nonprofit shop affiliated with bicoastal/international production house @radical.media.
This is the fifth campaign produced by Public Interest Productions for MTV. Michael Franzini, president/creative director of Public Interest Productions, directed this latest series of spots, which was designed to promote safe-sex practices.
Public Interest Productions was founded in 1998, shortly after the murder of Matthew Shepard, who was beaten to death because he was gay. Public Interest’s first production was the "Hate Crimes—Then and Now" spot, which addressed the tragedy. It was submitted to MTV, which picked up the ad. This began an ongoing collaboration between the network and Public Interest Productions to promote tolerance, and now, safe sex.
The Mother ensemble consisted of creative director Mark Waites, art director Kim Gehrig, copywriter Caroline Pay and producer Fiona Plumstead.
Jon Kamen and Frank Scherma were executive producers for @radical.media. Douglas Allenstein executive produced for Public Interest Productions. The campaign was shot in South Africa, with Phil "The Greek" Contomichalos executive producing for Made in Africa, Capetown. Line producer was Rudi Russow. The DP was Timothy Pike. "Roller Coaster" was lensed at Ratanga Junction Theme Park, Cape Town.
Andy McGraw of Cut and Run, London, served as both offline and online editor. Colorist was Beau Leon of The Syndicate, Santa Monica. Sound designer/audio mixer was Rohan Young of Scramble, London.
