Statistically, more than 90% of child sexual abusers are people children know and trust, such as teachers, caretakers and even parents or grandparents.

The #StopNurseryCrimes campaign stems from the insight that children can’t tell the difference between love and sexual abuse. We turned popular ‘Nursery Rhymes’ into ‘Nursery Crimes’ by twisting the lyrics to express how these predators masquerade their hidden intentions to groom innocent children into unsuspecting victims of sexual abuse.

First, we produced a series of films in different languages – English, Malay and Chinese to target the key ethnic groups in Malaysia. The films were created primarily to be shared online as well as via social media.

Through the use of 360-degree VR cardboards at roadshows nationwide, we also created an immersive experience on-ground, where people were also able to see the stories through the eyes of innocent children.

The films then led people to an educational website, where they could learn how to prevent child sexual abuse, how to spot the signs, and how to react or seek help. Visitors to the website were then invited to support this mission by sharing the information from the website.

The campaign was launched through a press conference and also a dialogue, which included major local publishers and press, government agencies, law enforcement officers, non-governmental organisations, social activists, and local celebrities.

Stop Nursery Crimes instantly became the top trending topic in Malaysia, sparked conversations on social media, and was featured in major newspapers as well as web articles, locally and abroad. The films garnered more than 1.5 million organic views and earned over RM424,000 in PR value.

The campaign even started a dialogue between government agencies, law enforcement officers and NGOs, and were used as an educational tool by schools and social activists.

But most significantly, we turned a taboo topic into a social conversation. All with no media spend.