Protecting Those Who Protect: A Campaign to Restore Respect for Emergency Services in Brussels

Unfortunately, in recent years, this mobilization has been increasingly marred by acts of violence directly targeting emergency personnel and vehicles, notably through fireworks attacks. This worrying trend has persisted year after year, prompting Brussels authorities to take action. In this context, SAFE.Brussels, in collaboration with Air, is launching a communication and awareness campaign to remind the public of the essential role of emergency services and the respect they deserve.

One of the main challenges of this campaign lies in its target audience: young people aged 13 to 20, who are particularly involved in these risky behaviors. How can we deliver them a message that is relevant, credible, and heard?

The adopted strategy is based on a simple approach: understand before speaking.
​To achieve this, we worked closely with those on the front lines, firefighters, who face these situations firsthand during New Year’s Eve.

These exchanges revealed a complex reality. The observed acts are not solely driven by rebellion but are part of an informal tradition. Several motivations emerged, but one stands out: the influence of social media.
​For some young people, the goal of the evening is to create and share the most spectacular content, the one that will generate the most views and reactions.

The campaign builds on this insight. Its principle: use the codes and content already circulating on social networks to subvert the message. Videos originally posted on various platforms were identified and then reworked using a subtle mix of 3D and generative AI.

The video starts like the original but then the story is diverted to reveal the real impact of these acts: beyond attacks on emergency services, all those who need help during New Year’s Eve suffer the consequences.

The transformed videos were distributed organically within targeted groups and then shared on the platforms most used by young audiences, including TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram.

Through this campaign, SAFE.Brussels and the Air agency aim to raise collective awareness and remind everyone that respecting emergency services is essential to ensuring safety for all, especially on a night as sensitive as New Year’s Eve.

CREDITS

Client : Safe.Brussels

Client contact : Benjamin Bergiers, Melanie Scherding, Marie Roland, Jolien Nackaerts

Agency : Air

Strategic Director : Michelle Defooz

Client Manager : Julie Demoulin

Creative Director : Creative Council

Creatives : Edouard Coune, Anouk Lemm, Marie Paris, Arnaud Bailly

Creative Designer : Edouard Coune

Production House : Flamme