Simple, smart, and effective

I love the power of a single-minded idea:



This ad, by Rethink for Canada's own Predator Watch (site "under construction" ?!?) turns the tables — almost literally — on anonymous perverts looking to exploit minors on the Internet. (via @AdFreak)



What I like about this ad is its simplicity. The pure idea, grounded in reality, allows the spot to build a proper story and hit home with a punch.

I also love the casting of the predator as just an ordinary guy, husband —and even father. After all, the hardcore creeps living in vans down by the river are not going to be affected by social marketing, while the opportunistic skeevos doing "research" could be scared off by the idea that they are essentially cruising schoolyards in public. And they have a lot to lose.

The only thing that disappoints me about this campaign (besides the Web site fail) is the print. That stuff is just plain creepy:



Should I mention one more time that the call-to-action goes to an "under construction" page? Kind of undermines the whole "we're omnipresent on the Internet" thing. (The client, Children of the Street Society, should've just sent people straight to their homepage.) Oh well, I still love the spot.