An unlikely partnership ...

This M&C Saatchi campaign is very clever indeed on a number of fronts. Firstly, the mix of street art and gritty scenarios depicted in the Ads have an immediate impact. In this post-earthquake campaign aimed at motivating young New Zealanders to join the force, Saatchi have cleverly mixed a number of conflicting elements and made it coherent like only they can.

"Bansky-esque" Street Scene in Christchurch

Another urban "mise en scene" perfectly performed

Ads are located near to where real events happened

The experiences, locations and people depicted are based on true events and the visual style is deliberate and very effective in delivering its message. With elements of graffiti, and more than a subtle nod towards the street art of Bansky*, the unlikely partnership of street credibility married to a Police Recruitment Campaign makes this one of the most talked about campaigns of 2011.

* Banksy's artwork is known for mocking officers - showing them as riot police with smiley faces, or pushing drugs to children. Although his works are technically illegal, they have been bought and sold for small fortunes by various celebrities and followed the world over by a growing fan base.

The stenciled graffiti of this campaign, created in the British artist’s style includes artwork where a police officer is chasing off a violent offender and another depicting a policewoman shielding a child from a lurking stranger. All the stencils are accompanied by the phrase: 'You too, can do something extraordinary'.

New Zealand Police have released videos detailing how each artwork was formed, as well as the stories behind them. Read more (external post):

Metro Article