Cannes Lions
GEELMUYDEN KIESE AS, Oslo / THE NORWEGIAN LABOUR INSPECTION AUTHORITY / 2024
Overview
Entries
Credits
Background
Many teachers experience challenges linked to high emotional demands, working alone in the classroom, and even violence and threats. In fact, a recent study showed that as many as one in four primary school teachers have been threatened or subjected to violence.
Based on this, The Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority wanted a campaign that created awareness and understanding for the challenges that teachers experience, and place the responsibility where it belongs. Working environment challenges are not something that each individual teacher can or should handle alone. It is the school management's responsibility to create a safe and good working environment.
The objective of the campaign was to lead the target group to arbeidsmiljøportalen.no, where they could find concrete advice and tools for creating a healthy, safe working environment for a number of sectors, including the school sector.
Execution
The film is set at a parent-teacher meeting, after school hours. Rounding off the meeting, the teacher has one final thing she wants to inform the parents about: A text message she received the other day, from one of the students.
She writes the text, word by word, on the blackboard – and as the camera focuses on the parents, we see by their reactions that they're shocked by the content.
Turning to the blackboard, we see the full text:
"YOU MUST WOTCH YOU'RE FUKKIN BACK YOU FUKKIN BITSH SLUTT"
But instead of addressing the severe, threatening content of the text, the teacher starts correcting the grammar and spelling mistakes. After all, her main focus is teaching – as it should be. She shouldn't have, and can't be bothered, to deal with stuff like this. That's the school management's responsibility.
Outcome
The campaign has generated outstanding results and engagement among the target group, with more than 5 million views – and thousands of reactions, shares and comments in social media.
On both Facebook and LinkedIn, it is the film in its full length that has been seen the most and has generated the most engagement. Being a film that exceeds 1 minute, this is, according to the media agency, quite extraordinary and proves that the story and messaging really struck a nerve in the target audience.
Most importantly, the campaign has lead more than 39.000 teachers, school leaders and other key target group representatives to arbeidsmiljøportalen.no. A huge number when factoring in that the number of teachers and school management employees in Norway is approximately 45.000 in total.