Why is this work relevant for Social & Influencer?

Our target audience lives and briefs social media. That's where we knew we had to make an impact in order to connect. More than that, we needed a way to clearly and unmistakably explain and display the horrible experience of being shocked by the 4500 volts of a shock collar. So we harnessed the toughness of unconventional influencers and used them in an equally unconventional way: we took some of Singapore's toughest people and shocked them. This connection between choice and use of influencer ignited massive positive repercussion for our campaign, guaranteeing people stopped in their tracks to watch.

Background

SPCA Singapore was reiterating its call for a ban on electric shock collars. The device is still being used in Singapore, although studies have shown that shock collar training may compromise a dog’s welfare, causing fear, pain and stress. The use of shock collars is already banned or significantly restricted in numerous countries around the world, though it remains legal in Singapore. SPCA’s stance is that the device has no place in animal training. The organisation advocates humane, force-free, rewards-focused and evidence-based approaches to animal training. For several decades now, SPCA has seen cases reporting the use of forceful and aversive animal training methods, predominantly in dog training. This campaign was meant to drive support to the cause and signatures to the NGO's petition.

Describe the creative idea (30% of vote)

What does 4500 volts, the electric current of a typical shock collar, actually mean? Is it a lot? Is it a little? To exemplify how gruelling a 4500 volt current can feel in the body, we tested it not on dogs, not in regular people, but on the toughest people in Singapore. Scouring social media, we reached out to a group of badass influencers: Taufiq, Singapore's Strongest Man Winner; Efasha, Singapore's first female boxing gold medallist; and Jon Kelly, a Spartan Elite Apac Championship winner. Then, we put their toughness to the test by making them experience all the 4500 volts in a standard dog collar. By capturing real reactions from boxing champions, elite athletes and Singapore’s strongest man, the audience is encouraged to reflect on how this practice hurts animals. All to make a powerful point: if the toughest can't take it, our dogs shouldn't have to either.

Describe the strategy (20% of vote)

Our strategy was impacting potential agents of change, people who are willing to participate and support a cause. We knew social media was going to be our primary channel for that, where we could get the views, the likes, and most importantly the shares and the signatures we needed to revert the policy around shock collars in Singapore. But how do you stand out in the overly cluttered world of social media and get people to act against shock collars? The standard 4500 volt current in shock collars is no joke. It's a gruelling thing to endure. But 4500 volts doesn't mean a lot to the layman. Especially when, as a human being, you see it being used against a smaller, weaker animal like a dog. We knew we couldn't just talk about it. We needed to show the power of 4500 volts. That's what we set out to do.

Describe the execution (20% of vote)

The campaign kicked off with a 2-part film. In the first part, we're introduced to the tough people: Taufiq, Singapore's Strongest Man Winner; Efasha, Singapore's first female boxing gold medallist; and Jon Kelly, a Spartan Elite Apac Championship winner. In the second part, we put their toughness to the test by shocking them with the 4500 volts in a shock collar, using their real reactions to make the audience reflect: if the toughest can't take it, our dogs shouldn't have to either. Supporting images for social media and PR featured a snapshot of each influencer's reaction to the pain. All assets - the film and the supporting images - were launched on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. The influencers shared the work across all their social media channels as well. And the campaign was picked up by PR outlets around the world.

List the results (30% of vote)

The campaign got picked up by media outlets around the world, including Singapore's 8 Days and Today, PR Week Asia, Design Taxi, Greek Lifo and more. It was shared by animal groups all over the world. It even made it to the UK, where it triggered a lobbyist to send us an "educational" email "correcting" the misleading facts against shock collars we point out in our campaign. Within the week of the film's launch, we garnered over 7000 signatures. And we got the Singapore parliament to review its stance on electric shock collars. The process is still ongoing. But the outlook is bright.