NEWS

Virgin Media O2 and Internet Matters Launch Online Safety Campaign: Find the Right Words

Virgin Media O2 and Internet Matters have introduced a new multi-channel online safety campaign, Find the Right Words, designed to assist parents and guardians in discussing online safety with their children. The campaign will be broadcast across Virgin TV and promoted through customer marketing, reaching millions of Virgin Media and O2 customers.

Whitney Simon, Senior Account Director & Head of DEI Consulting, Missive said:

“To support Virgin Media O2’s online safety campaign, we wanted to feature a powerful video highlighting the struggles that parents face when it comes to discussing online safety. Film Punks took our initial brief and delivered something that far surpassed our expectations!

It was a pleasure working with Jack, Ed, Nott Brothers and the wider team on this project. They were creative, collaborative and flexible – making the process a breeze. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them to other clients who are looking to incorporate impactful videos into their creative campaigns.”

New Film Highlights Online Safety Challenges

The campaign includes a compelling film that addresses the difficulties adults face when explaining online risks to children. Supported by leading charities, Action for Children and Good Things Foundation, the campaign features new guides to help families confidently discuss internet safety.

Launching a Ground-breaking Initiative

Virgin Media O2 and Internet Matters aim to aid parents and guardians in discussing online safety with their children through the Find the Right Words campaign. Coinciding with the start of the summer holidays, a period when children are more likely to be online, the campaign seeks to help adults navigate difficult conversations about online threats.

Powerful Film at the Core

At the heart of the campaign is a powerful film that highlights the challenges adults face in explaining online harms to children. Research by Virgin Media O2 and Internet Matters shows that only 4 in 10 (42%) of parents talk to their children about online safety.

Created by Film Punks and directed by the Nott Brothers (Nathan Miller and Mark Danciger), the Find the Right Words film follows the lives of Anika, a 17-year-old, and her mother, Shanti. Their relationship becomes strained as Anika is disturbed by online content. The film emphasizes that it’s never too early to discuss online safety with children.

Broadcasting the Message

The film will be available on-demand on Virgin TV and shown on Channel 100 throughout the summer. Additionally, it will be shared with millions of Virgin Media and O2 customers via social media, newsletters, and online channels, as well as through paid social media from Virgin Media O2’s accounts.

Reaching Parents and Guardians Nationwide

Virgin Media O2 and Internet Matters have partnered with Action for Children and Good Things Foundation to ensure the campaign resonates with parents and carers across the UK. Together, they have created free guides to help families stay safe online. These guides offer advice on having conversations about online safety and information on safety tools and controls. The resources are available on a dedicated internet safety page on the Virgin Media O2 website and will be shared with Virgin Media and O2 customers.

Additional Support and Outreach

Action for Children will distribute the content via its award-winning Parent Talk platform, providing one-to-one support for parents needing further advice on discussing online safety with their children. Good Things Foundation will share the resources through their National Digital Inclusion Network, comprising thousands of community organizations across the UK.

Part of a Broader Sustainability Strategy

The campaign is part of Virgin Media O2’s sustainability strategy, the Better Connections Plan, aiming to enhance the digital skills of six million people by the end of 2025.

Quotes from Key Figures

Nicola Green, Chief Communications and Corporate Affairs Officer at Virgin Media O2, stated:

“As we head into the summer holidays – a period when we know children and young people are more likely to be online – we want to support parents and carers to have conversations about online safety.

“With Virgin Media O2’s multi-channel, Find the Right Words campaign, we’re providing parents and guardians with the guidance, resources, and support they need to take positive actions, like having open discussions about online safety with their children, and how to implement online safety controls.

“Our powerful campaign film brings to life the issues children and teens can experience online, and that it’s never too early to talk to kids about how to stay safe online.

“We’re proudly partnering with online safety experts, Internet Matters, and leading charities, Action for Children, and Good Things Foundation, to create a campaign that resonates with and reaches parents and carers across the UK.”

Mark and Nathan (Nott Brothers) expressed: “Bringing this story to life has been an emotional journey, and we’re very grateful to all the team who have helped to create it. We hope it will kickstart vital conversations between parents and children about online safety.”

Ed Balcombe, Head of Production at Film Punks, added: “We were delighted to deliver this project for Virgin Media O2 and Internet Matters, bringing awareness to a topic that affects children and young people everywhere. When we were approached for the project, we knew instantly that we wanted to bring Mark and Nathan (Nott Brothers) on board to help us bring this sensitive topic to life, with both the creativity and care that it needed.

“We are so proud of what we have achieved as a team, from concept to production, and are hopeful that this campaign will encourage parents to start the conversation about online safety with their children and teenagers.”