In 2020, more than ever due to lockdown, people spent even more time in front of their screens. Some parents even knowingly let their kids watch streaming platforms for hours to keep them occupied. Yet a lot of the content isn’t adapted for children, particularly the Prime originals on Amazon Prime Video. So, in view of the context, to remind people about their Parental Control functions, Amazon Prime Video took the opportunity to showcase their latest shows…in a rather unusual way

To prove the efficiency (and the necessity) of the Parental Control feature, Prime Video asked 3 of its youngest members to take part in an original experiment. They had to draw the posters for three Prime original series which were unsuitable for under 18s. They were only given the titles and obviously hadn’t seen the shows, thanks to the parental control feature. The huge difference between the results of their vivid imaginations and the bloody reality of the images gave rise to a video campaign that went viral and a side-by-side OOH campaign: the children’s illustrations were displayed alongside the darker, more gruesome, actual posters for the shows throughout Paris.

Prime Video reaffirmed its position as a responsible brand with an important conclusion: “we prefer they imagine them, rather than watch them”, while promoting their original programs to a more informed audience: in other words, a twofer!

The videos, aimed at the parents, are deliberately designed to surprise the viewer. By touching a nerve while adding a dose of cuteness, the message is even more powerful, almost shocking. The films were posted on YouTube and Facebook, the main social video platforms. Their short format, coupled with a PR strategy, helped to maximize their reach, both online and in the press, which, given the context and the subject of screen time during lockdown, was very instrumental in conveying the CSR message.

Jade (6 years old), Thiago (5 years old) and Marilou (6 years old), three young Prime Video members, gave free rein to their imagination and illustrated their interpretation of three Prime Video Originals. Controversial, violent series containing vulgarity and reserved for an adult audience (16+/18+) ... basically shows they quite simply haven’t been able to watch…thanks to Prime’s parental control settings. A simple experiment in theory that gave rise to 3 content videos and conclude with the brand’s stance: “We prefer they imagine them, rather than watch them”.

The children’s illustrations also became posters, displayed around Paris in a side by side OOH campaign: the drawings, displaying the parental control stamp, alongside the darker, more gruesome, actual posters for the shows.

The videos were shared thousands of times on social media and recorded over 10 million views in France. Each video also achieved a record completion rate of 80%. The campaign was mentioned in more than 50 articles in the press, in more than 10 countries and there are plans to adapt it for the USA this year. Last, but not least, the parental control settings have been activated more than ever before in French households (confidential data).