Ontario Power Generation (OPG) is trying to demystify the province’s more hazardous waterways with new PSAs from agency Rain 43.
Two television executions show harried old timers talking about the “mysteries” of lakes and rivers during both summer and winter months. The message: be cautious near dams and power plants, as water levels can change drastically and quickly. And safety risks aside, getting too close to dams can result in heavy fines.
Radio, print and online ads are being finalized and will go live in the coming weeks with French-language versions as well. While there will be no French TV this time around, Kathy Nosich, director of corporate public affairs for OPG, said she’s considering it for the next batch.
This marks the third year of OPG’s water safety campaign, handled previously by Partners & Edell, which became Rain 43 in September 2010 when it was acquired by John Farquhar and John Yorke.
Previous campaign executions have featured OPP spokesperson Larry Butterfield and a talking fish voiced by Steve Smith (a.k.a. Red Green).
“We did some focus testing and found some people still weren’t getting the message, fishermen in particular,” Nosich said. “We know those same folks tend to snowmobile and take risks around waterways and dams.” That audience is “quite broad,” she said, but is mostly male.
