Energy Safe Victoria’s (ESV) new public safety campaign around the dangers of DIY electrical work is set to launch this week.

As Victoria’s technical regulator for energy safety, ESV appointed DPR&Co to create a behaviour change campaign aimed at educating unqualified Victorians about the dangers associated with electrical DIY.

ESV head of communications & marketing, Jonathan Granger said: “Many people don’t know that it’s illegal for unqualified people to do their own electrical work.

“They’re completely unaware of the potential risks.”

He added: “These risks go beyond electrocuting yourself or others. Illegally performed electrical work can lead to house fires, void your home insurance and see you faced with hefty repair bills as a result of faulty wiring.”

The primary audience for the campaign is males 30 years of age and older.

DPR&Co co-founder and executive creative director, Richard Ralphsmith said: “Our brief was to reach a cohort of men who believe in self-sufficiency, or who have a ‘it can’t be that hard’ mentality.

“We didn’t want to demean or insult them, so our approach was designed to be conversational, enlisting a relatable handyman persona to deliver the campaign message.”

The campaign creates the new acronym: DDIY – don’t do it yourself.

ESV’s DDIY campaign will be seen in out-of-home, press, digital and social channels across Victoria from November 13.

Campaign Credits: 

Creative Agency: DPR&Co

Executive Creative Director: Richard Ralphsmith

Art Director: Tassy Kontogiannis

Designer: Nathan Millard

Copywriters: Andrew North, Richard Ralphsmith

Production company: Adonis Films

Director: Donald Percy