Funeral directors speak plainly about the potentially lethal consequences of street drugs in new radio campaign by The Sharper Pencil
In 2013, 16 year-old Preston Bridge consumed an hallucinogenic drug at a school ball after-party at SunMoon resort in Scarborough – and died as a result. His father, Rod Bridge set up an educational foundation, Sideffect, after Preston’s death.
Late last year, the website sideffect.org.au went live.
The Sharper Pencil’s John Ilian was asked to write and produce a radio campaign to promote the sideffect website as part of their educational efforts.
The campaign involved six funeral directors speaking plainly about street drugs and their potential consequences, for two reasons. Firstly, because funeral directors have direct experience dealing with death. Secondly, because – as the commercials indicate – none need (or want) a drug death to sustain their respective companies.
Recently, three more people have died from drug-induced deaths at concerts – two in Queensland, one in Sydney (this excludes deaths from the use of Ice – methamphetamine).
Sideffect has recently bought a bus which is presently being fitted out with a video playback system. While not the complete answer, the Sideffect bus will visit schools and other organisations as part of a program to educate the susceptible market.
Special thanks and grateful appreciation go to the managers and personnel within the Invocare Funeral Group (Chippers, Purslowe, Marina Purslowe and Oakwood Funerals), who willingly volunteered, auditioned, rehearsed and recorded the six commercials.
Nick Gallagher at Brainestorm recorded them and RGB provided the professional talent.