Sydney independent creative agency LOUD has launched a campaign for the NSW government to highlight the importance of water safety this summer. 

The campaign will run across social, film content, radio, press and Spotify. 

Last summer, a staggering 41 people in NSW died as a result of drowning, making it the second most-deadly summer on record in the last 10 years. 

Between Christmas and New Year – a time when families should be celebrating – NSW witnessed 17 fatalities in just nine days – an unbelievable 325 per cent increase in drownings against the 10 year average. 

This devastating spike prompted the state’s government to create a public awareness campaign for water safety. 

The campaign is centred around the three key risk factors: drinking and taking drugs around water, particularly rivers; swimming at unpatrolled beaches; and parents leaving their kids unsupervised around water. 

LOUD’s campaign objective is simple – help reduce the number of drowning deaths in NSW this summer, whilst contributing to the long-term national goal of reducing drowning deaths by 50 per cent by 2020. 

Gerry Cyron, head of planning and innovation at LOUD, said: “When people die in road accidents, it is part of our culture to show our grief by placing crosses and flowers at the sight where they died. 

“As a passing driver, you can’t help but to slow down, impacted by the loss of another human’s life. We borrowed from this cultural insight and applied it to drowning to warn others about the danger that can lie in familiar waters.” 

Wellison D’Assuncao, creative director at LOUD, added: “It’s a very nice way to end the year for LOUD. 

“What makes me really proud about this body of work is that we’ve retained it for the second year and we again get to make a difference over what will be another hot summer for NSW.” 

CREDITS 

Client: NSW government 

Senior communications and engagement adviser: Alex Power 

Creative: LOUD 

CEO: Lorraine Jokovic 

Head of planning and innovation: Gerry Cyron 

Creative director: Wellison D’Assuncao 

Art directors: Kate Shearer and Wellison D’Assuncao 

Copywriter: Rosie Stone 

Digital: Tom Hartney 

Social: Sarah Mould 

Head of production: Steve Dubé 

Group account director: Gemma Tugby 

Senior account manager: Laura Tenison 

Production: Flipp 

Producer: Clinton Bell 

Photographer and film: Jem Cresswell 

Stylist: Cherith Crozier 

Radio production: Uncanny Valley 

Producer: Emily Green