Symantec SafetyTown
A feature film, an adverband, and a fake telethon — all in service of selling antivirus software. Creativity Editor's Pick.
The brief was to make people care about online security software. The answer was to stop making ads and start making things worth watching.
SafetyTown launched as a hub experience housing a feature film, a branded band, and a live telethon — all connected to Symantec's antivirus suite in ways that felt earned rather than slapped on. Creativity Editor's Pick, 2006.
Phished — the film
Written and produced for the campaign, starring Kevin Allison of The State. A dark comedy about a man whose identity is stolen through a phishing email — played seriously enough to land emotionally, absurd enough to be rewatchable. The first and only time a software company launched a campaign with a narrative short film.
RockDotRock — the adverband
A blatantly Symantec-branded '80s hair band, formed expressly to record a soundtrack to Phished and sing the praises of Symantec's security suite. "Based on the success of the music, we thought it would be fun to run a little further with the idea." AdAge Creativity named it one of the year's best interactive campaigns.
The SafetyTown Web-a-Thon
A fake PBS telethon to raise awareness (not money) for internet safety. Live studio audience, an 8-foot illuminated fundraising thermometer, kidney-shaped 1970s-style incandescent signage, and comedy talent that included a largely-unknown Jenny Slate and Baron Vaughan before either of them were famous.