Beyond Borders, a Winnipeg-based organization that fights child sexual exploitation, launched the second phase of its ‘Man-to-Man’ campaign this week with TV ads featuring celebrities.
The 15-second spots are airing on donated time from Global TV, Canwest specialty channels and The Score, and they feature CSI:NY actor A.J. Buckley, Manoj Sood from Little Mosque on the Prairie, and ET Canada host Rick Campanelli.
The ads will air for at least a month, says Deborah Zanke, founder, Message Communications.
‘There have been many campaigns that reach out and talk about victimization and encourage people to disclose more and report, but there hasn’t been much focus on the demand, meaning those who are using children for sex and profit,’ Zanke says.
The videos were produced by Crank Productions in Winnipeg, and the rest of the project was handled in-house and by Zanke’s Message Communications, also in Winnipeg.
The ads are targeted at 18- to 45-year-old men, with the organization wanting the ads to speak to young men who are just forming opinions on the issue and older men who are more likely to volunteer for or donate to Beyond Borders.
According to Zanke, 90% of sexual exploitation cases involve men as the aggressor, which is why Beyond Borders is focusing on men.
The PSAs feature celebrities expressing anger and distress but don’t specify the cause of the reactions. The spots are meant to drive viewers to the website, Endthedemand.ca, where there are videos, information and opportunities to take action.
The first phase of the campaign featured male celebrities, including Jason Priestley and Jay Manuel, speaking out on the website through a series of photos and written statements, as well as a four-minute video showing the effects of sexual exploitation.
