Don't Be A Tool - B.C. Construction Association | Clapboard Ad Archive

The British Columbia Construction Association’s 2019 campaign Don’t Be A Tool, created by Rethink, tackles the entrenched issues of bullying, hazing, and sexual harassment within the construction industry by deploying a bold and memorable creative strategy that leverages animated cartoon characters as metaphorical tools to symbolize these destructive workplace behaviors. Launching during BC Construction Month, the campaign aligns with the broader Builders Code initiative, which seeks to establish a foundational code of conduct to elevate workplace culture across the sector. The use of personified tools as exaggerated stand-ins for offenders allows the campaign to address sensitive topics with a disarming, lighthearted tone that cuts through the typical noise of workplace safety communications, making the message accessible without diminishing its seriousness. Rooted in a year-long collaboration with the Construction Workforce Equity Project, the campaign responds to the stark gender imbalance in British Columbia’s construction workforce, where women represent only five percent of the estimated 180,000 workers, with the goal of doubling female participation within a decade through fostering respect and inclusion. By avoiding direct depictions of harassment or bullying and instead employing Clapboard’s FORMAT#3—Symbolize the Problem—the campaign creates a visual language that is both engaging and thought-provoking, inviting reflection on the toxic behaviors that undermine safety and equity on job sites. Comprising three animated films, the campaign’s approachable yet pointed execution facilitates conversations beyond construction, addressing workplace culture at large. The campaign earns 63/100 in Clapboard’s global creative archive. Don’t Be A Tool matters because it demonstrates how the real estate and construction sector can adopt culturally resonant storytelling techniques to challenge deep-rooted social issues while advancing industry-wide behavioral standards.