Kidproof Southeast uses lollipops to increase awareness of missing children

Developed by TBWA Kuala Lumpur, the campaign started off with a social experiment early this year, based on an insight that people will take heed only when the issues impact them directly.

It hired a man as a predator who roamed around malls and parks in Kuala Lumpur and Penang, giving out lollipops to unattended children. When the parents found out that their kids took lollipops from strangers, they realised how close they came to losing their kids. The copy on the tag tied to the lollipop says, “It took a split second to lure your child away. Keep a close watch before it’s too late”.

A video was subsequently made and launched in June. The digital element will follow suit.

Saad Hussein, chief creative officer and executive director at TBWA Group Malaysia, told Campaign Asia-Pacific that the client got calls from corporations and individuals after the video was shown on video screens in malls. The video was posted on YouTube on 8 November, and has since garnered more than 190,000 views.

“The campaign is only for Malaysia but Kidproof is planning to use it to spearhead its courses all over Southeast Asia,” he added. “We are currently working on its Phase 2 for other states in Malaysia.”