Go ahead, drop out. But know that you’ll be treated like a lost child forever.
That’s the message behind four cheeky TV spots from Taxi Calgary and the Calgary-based Telus World of Science, urging high school kids not to be lured out of school by high-paying labour jobs. Each spot features an office employee being treated like a small child by coworkers, with the tag: ‘Dropouts get treated differently.’
The concept originated at Taxi, which thought the science centre would be a good partner for the message.
‘One of Taxi’s goals is to be socially and economically relevant in the areas where we operate,’ says Christina Hill, group account director at Taxi Calgary. ‘With the economic boom in Alberta, there’s an urgent need for this message.’
The target is high school kids, with males 15-18 the core. ‘We really wanted to make sure we weren’t preaching to them,’ says Hill, explaining the cheeky tone. ‘As a young adult, the last thing you want is to be treated like a child.’
The spots launched in the spring, and will begin running again in the fall following a summer hiatus.
client: Jeff Hessel, marketing director; Georgine Ulmer, executive director, Telus World of Science Calgary
ECD: Zak Mroueh
copywriter: Joseph Bonnici
AD: Sam Cerullo
account directors: Christina Hill, Karen Pearce
agency producer: Jennifer Mete
prodco: Reginald Pike
director: Brian Lee Hughes
producer: Tom Evelyn
executive producer: Josefina Nadurata
editor: Brian Wells, School Editing
audio: Pirate Radio & TV
Newfoundland and Labrador rub gridlock, smog in Toronto’s face
