Californians for Safety and Justice
Just Safe
_SECTOR: SOCIAL JUSTICEThe Alliance for Safety and Justice (ASJ) and Californians for Safety and Justice (CSJ) are committed to advancing public safety solutions rooted in violence prevention, community health, rehabilitation, and support for crime victims rather than over-incarceration and investment in police.
Since 2017, Emergence has been working with both ASJ and CSJ to share incredibly compelling stories on a national stage, build advocacy movements, and create a culture of safety.
What began as a moment has grown into a national movement – challenging “tough-on-crime” narratives and creating ripple effects on the ways people talk about progress, safety, and prisons.
Campaign Development | Copywriting | Graphic Design | OOH | Organic Social Media | Organization Building | Paid Social Media | Public Relations | Research | Strategy | Video Production | TV | Web Design _THE CHALLENGE
California’s progressive wins such as the defeat of Prop 20, funding multiple trauma recovery centers, and a 25% reduction of state imprisonment highlight a pivotal moment in advancing criminal justice reform.
However, politicians and political pundits continue to use these advancements as fodder for more “tough on crime” policies.
_SEARCHING FOR THE SIGNAL
Data and research showed that people are heavily in support of investing in resources that keep people out of prison, but still feel uneasy about the perception of rising crime in their neighborhood.
People just want to feel safe. We had to create a strategy that acknowledged people’s fears while communicating that safety is really about investing in mental health, housing, and drug rehabilitation centers, not police and prisons.
_EMERGENCE
Our research led us to a key message which would serve as the heart of our campaign: “Safety is more than the absence of crime. It is the presence of wellbeing.”
With this idea in mind, we created a visually compelling spot featuring passionate justice leaders and activist/actress Jenifer Lewis sharing their personal stories about what safety means to them.
Guided by the principle of shared safety, the creative was simple, striking, and emotional.
_EVOLUTION
“Just Safe” launched with a 15, 30, and 60-second video spot on LinkedIn, YouTube, CTV/OTT as well as Google search ads and out-of-home in Sacramento and the Bay Area. On all platforms in the Bay Area, we consistently outperformed our projected benchmarks and video completions.
6,260,797 total views
~11,000,000 total impressions
99.49% completion rate on CTV (nonskippable)
49.54% completion rate on YouTube (skippable)
As the campaign continued, we shifted to optimize the 30-second video vs. the 15-second video. Viewers were more likely to watch the longer length video, which is a testament to the strong and engaging creative.
