Though difficult to create—and watch—there have been a number of domestic and child abuse prevention ads that have been poignantly moving, their orientation generally being from the victims’ point of view. However, for the delicate issue of sexual exploitation involving children, this :40 PSA from agency BETC Euro RSCG, Paris, takes a different approach—telling the story from the perpetrator’s point of view.
Entitled "Le Touriste," this spot for the ECPAT organization (End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes) opens on a man’s back. We see him remove his shirt.
A super appears, which reads, "More and more children are victims of sexual tourism."
The man—whose face we never see—continues to disrobe, undoing his belt and removing his pants. We see him buck-naked from behind.
His clothes left lying on the ground, the man then begins to walk slowly down a dark corridor. For a moment it seems as if he’s headed toward his next victim. The mood of the scene is dark, sinister and foreboding.
It turns out, however, that the man is walking toward his dank prison cell. Before entering the cell, he puts his hands up against a wall to be frisked by a prison guard.
A super explains, "More and more perpetrators are arrested at the site of the offense or in their country of origin."
Below that message, a list of sex offenders’ names—accompanied by the length of each one’s prison term—scrolls down the screen. Appearing on the bottom right corner of the screen is the ECPAT logo and Web site address (www.ecpat.net).
Previous ECPAT campaigns centered on the victim. The strategic decision was made by BETC Euro RSCG to change the campaign so that it denounces the perpetrator as a possible deterrent to would-be offenders. The spot was created to increase public awareness of the fact that legal sanctions could be encountered both in the nation where the crime was committed and in the perpetrator’s country of origin.
In France, current legislation allows for all sexual child abuse cases committed abroad to be judged in the country. Such acts are subject to seven years imprisonment and a fine of 100,000 euros. In certain circumstances, punishment can be up to 20 years imprisonment. Other nations have also adopted extra-territorial laws, including the European Union member countries, Japan, Switzerland, New Zealand, the United States and Canada.
"Le Touriste" was directed by Nils Tavernier, a Paris-based freelancer who worked through Lomanascha, a production house in Paris. Lomanascha’s producer was Aida Negm. The DP was Alain Duplantier.
Tavernier worked closely on cutting the spot with Paris-based editor Florence Ricard.
For BETC Euro RSCG, the agency supervisors were Alain Roussel, Charlotte David and Anne Cecile Galloy. Creative director was Remi Babinet, with Agnes Cavard serving as art director, Valerie Chidlovsky as copywriter and Isabelle Menard as producer.
The spot, which broke last month on French television, is also being screened on long-haul Air France flights. BETC Euro RSCG created the ad for Air France, which is an ECPAT partner/sponsor.
