Jasper Gray of Futuristic Films directed this PSA for ad agency TDA_Boulder which opens on model rocket materials laid out across a table. As the spot progresses, the gentle, soothing voice of a man can be heard discussing how much he enjoys sharing the hobby with a young person.
Moments later, the camera jumps back, showing that the table is clearly within a prison environment–and the speaker, whose face is distorted by pixelation, is sitting behind it in a jumpsuit. He tells viewers, “It’s not easy to identify a pedophile. You just spent 20 seconds with one.”
A female voiceover intervenes, relating that to learn more about how to protect your children from sexual abuse, visit blueskybridge.com. Blue Sky Bridge is the only victim assistance agency in Boulder County, Colorado, that provides forensic services to children for whom abuse or neglect is reported, as well as counseling and other support services for non-offending family members.
The organization notes that child abuse remains a serious problem in Boulder County and throughout the state of Colorado. Research indicates that as many as 1 of every 4 girls and 1 of every 6 boys are sexually abused before age 18. In Boulder County, it is estimated that two new children are sexually abused every day.
Creation of the spot took about a year, and required assistance by Boulder County District Attorney Stan Garnett and cooperation from the Colorado Department of Corrections. Correctional staff helped identify potential offenders to appear in the spot, who were interviewed to determine suitability. TDA_Boulder filmed the ad during a single day at the correctional facility in Cañon City where the offender is housed. Assisting on the spot were agency producer Alli Gerrish and account executive Stephanie Hearon.
The ad is airing now on cable television through Comcast Colorado, after which it will be rolled out to other interested child advocacy centers around the state and across the country.
Apple and Google Face UK Investigation Into Mobile Browser Dominance
Apple and Google aren't giving consumers a genuine choice of mobile web browsers, a British watchdog said Friday in a report that recommends they face an investigation under new U.K. digital rules taking effect next year.
The Competition and Markets Authority took aim at Apple, saying the iPhone maker's tactics hold back innovation by stopping rivals from giving users new features like faster webpage loading. Apple does this by restricting progressive web apps, which don't need to be downloaded from an app store and aren't subject to app store commissions, the report said.
"This technology is not able to fully take off on iOS devices," the watchdog said in a provisional report on its investigation into mobile browsers that it opened after an initial study concluded that Apple and Google effectively have a chokehold on "mobile ecosystems."
The CMA's report also found that Apple and Google manipulate the choices given to mobile phone users to make their own browsers "the clearest or easiest option."
And it said that the a revenue-sharing deal between the two U.S. Big Tech companies "significantly reduces their financial incentives" to compete in mobile browsers on Apple's iOS operating system for iPhones.
Both companies said they will "engage constructively" with the CMA.
Apple said it disagreed with the findings and said it was concerned that the recommendations would undermine user privacy and security.
Google said the openness of its Android mobile operating system "has helped to expand choice, reduce prices and democratize access to smartphones and apps" and that it's "committed to open platforms that empower consumers."
It's the latest move by regulators on both sides of the Atlantic to crack down on the... Read More