Ogilvy Singapore brings home the very real dangers of neglecting cyber security

Ahhhh technology. It seems everywhere Ad Nut ventures outside the world of the woodland, it encounters a slew of humans tapping away on their little boxy devices. Heads immersed and backs hunched forward, they pour over them, the glow beaming back across their faces like a lighthouse beaconing for a lost ship in the night. Some boxes are large, some small, but no matter what, human beings seem addicted to them—and for all the scrolling joy they bring, they also carry with them a myriad of dangers.

This is why Ad Nut was rather delighted to see the latest work from Ogilvy Singapore for the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA). A worthy subject, cyber security's awareness effects have unfortunately been diluted by years of lacklustre campaigns featuring fear-mongering statistics about data privacy. Ogilvy’s latest, however, cuts through this noise of intangibility and mundane repetition by doing what Ad Nut loves best about filmmaking: Putting the viewer right at the centre of it all.

Titled “The Unseen Enemy,” the integrated campaign lifts the veil on cyber scams, spotlighting the pervasive and often unseen nature of these threats.

The film opens with a shot of a tired man returning from a busy day at work. As he begins to settle in for an evening of relaxation, the audience is thrown into the midst of a suspense thriller. Using no dialogue but plenty of clever camera work and a great musical score, the lens shifts angles rapidly, even panning to give the viewers a CCTV-like footage screen experience. As the protagonist unwinds on his couch, he receives a text containing a phishing link. Unaware, he clicks it. Suddenly and without warning, everything is thrown into chaos. His windows lock, the room begins to rattle, objects begin flying astray, filing cabinets begin opening on their own, and pictures are falling from ceilings.

At first Ad Nut thought it had found itself inside yet another sequel of The Conjuring, or worse, the tenth installment of The Grudge (how many grudges can one hold at this stage? Seek therapy), but Ad Nut was remiss. This isn't about a supernatural threat at all, but rather, an omnipresent one. As the protagonist grapples with what's happening and begins collecting his most precious belongings, his laptop begins to chime, and soon, we see the outline of a man hazily standing beside him in a flashing hologram.

The film ends with a man tapping away in the darkness, and the viewers realise our protagonist has been hacked. The lesson? If you’re not digitally secure, you could lose everything most valuable to you in a click, and all through a screen.

BRAVA! Now that's what Ad Nut likes to see. Immersive, interesting and relatable, the campaign film does what plenty of modern advertising fails to do today: put the audience at the heart of the story. Who hasn't worried about having their information hacked at some stage or stressed about where the photos of their loved ones end up once posted online? The fact that crime is no longer confined to physical acts alone but now privy to a cloak of digital invisibility means victims of such acts are often also left blindsided. Raising awareness in a way that truly instills that fear of loss inside the viewer is a bold way to encourage a call-to-action, and one Ad Nut does not feel will fall on deaf ears.

In addition to the clever 60-second clip, the campaign also features a number of key visuals developed across touchpoints such as platform screen doors, wallscapes, bus stop shelter ads, social and digital platforms as well as a concept train. CSA also held a two-day roadshow, conceptualised and executed by Ogilvy at the end of September at the Suntec City Convention Centre, which invited audiences to “Home In On Cybersecurity,” illustrating a compromised home and welcoming visitors to learn practically how to adopt cyber tips to guard against cyber threats and scams.

“Threats that are unseen are always more insidious than those that are conspicuous, bringing the feeling of unease and paranoia of an unseen enemy is how we will motivate potential victims to take the necessary precautions to protect themselves and those they care about,” said Troy Lim, group creative director, Ogilvy Singapore.

To that Ad Nut says: A worthy cause, much applause.

"The Unseen Enemy" campaign will continue through till Mar 2025, extending to various mini-roadshows and partnerships.

Credits

Ad Nut is a surprisingly literate woodland creature that for unknown reasons has an unhealthy obsession with advertising. Ad Nut gathers ads from all over Asia and the world for your viewing pleasure, because Ad Nut loves you. You can also check out Ad Nut's Advertising Hall of Fame, or read about Ad Nut's strange obsession with 'murderous beasts'.