If a picture’s worth a thousand words, what’s the value of having it hit the right audience at the perfect place and time? Vancouver’s Wasserman + Partners Advertising did the math, and felt that the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia’s bait car program could increase the odds of deterring theft by helping crooks visualize consequences when they’re contemplating the deed.

Bait cars, which trap would-be thieves, have succeeded in reducing auto theft in BC since 2002. But to make sure the message continues to arrest the target on their own turf, 15 parking lots in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland now feature graffiti art bolstering the message: ‘Steal a Bait Car. Go to Jail.’

The executions compellingly paint a Russian roulette scenario for thieves: life-size posters on parkade walls show a sorry-looking thief behind bars, and power-wash floor messages with directional arrows point toward bait cars. ‘The urban-influenced format of these very clear, high-profile executions is designed to resonate powerfully with potential thieves, and serve as a deterrent in areas traditionally thought to be beyond the reach of law enforcement,’ explains Wasserman account supervisor Sean Weller, adding that the images launched last month will likely be added to parking lots in a wider geographical area around Vancouver in the near future. Wasserman + Partners also handled media buys.