The National Council Against Drug Abuse (NCADA) conducts an annual campaign to promote a drug-free lifestyle among youth. For the year 2020, NCADA envisioned a thought-provoking campaign that challenged youth to think deeper about their perspective on drugs, and sparked conversations about the destructive reality of drug abuse.
This campaign, titled HIGH, consisted of Singapore’s first interactive short film and online activities to engage with the youth. Award-winning local director Royston Tan produced the short film by the same title, wherein viewers could make choices on behalf of the protagonist to uncover the various endings and shed light on the importance of making informed decisions.
STRATEGY
Black Dot worked closely with creative agency Dentsu Aegis Network Singapore to develop a comprehensive media engagement plan throughout the campaign, as well as conceptualise an on-ground activation to engage with youth.
To engage with the youth and drive awareness about the campaign, HIGH was screened at ITE College Central, ITE College East, and Singapore Polytechnic in January 2020, reaching a total of 5,162 students. Each film screening was followed by a Safe Zone Discussion (SZD), an interactive and thought-provoking platform for students to share their thoughts on the film, on drug abuse and drug advocacy.
The media outreach strategy consisted of three phases. In the initial launch phase, media activities were targeted at raising awareness and interest in the campaign and film, followed by organic and paid media pitches to spark conversations about the reality of drug abuse, and the final phase aimed to sustain media buzz by steering the public towards advocacy and support for the anti-drug cause.
OUTCOME
Despite the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the campaign was well received by the public and the media, with many positive reviews about the campaign’s unique approach in preventive drug education. Organic story pitches to the media were very well-received, the campaign amassed news coverage of more than $500,000 in PR Value.