I Shared a Photo – Cossette 2013 | Clapboard Ad Archive

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I Shared a Photo - Children of the Street Society | Clapboard Ad Archive

I Shared a Photo, the digital-led awareness campaign by Cossette for Children of the Street Society, stands as a pivotal entry in the public service advertising canon of Year: 2013, highlighting the escalating dangers of youth sexual exploitation in a hyper-connected era. Anchored in the real-world story of a young girl whose intimate image, initially shared in trust, spreads beyond her control, the campaign dramatizes how the ordinary act of digital sharing can yield extraordinary harm, targeting both youth and adults across British Columbia. The narrative unfolds with immediacy through a multi-modal distribution: cell phone screens host the serialized video story, while high-traffic resto-bars, schools, and transit shelters deliver contextual poster executions that echo the urgency of the digital message in physical environments. This layered approach leverages both proximity and relevance, ensuring that the campaign’s warning—rooted in lived experience rather than abstraction or generalization—resonates with audiences who are either at risk or in a position to intervene. The work directly reinforces the Children of the Street Society’s mission to proactively prevent sexual exploitation through education, public awareness, and direct family support, fusing the brand’s offering with the campaign’s narrative structure. By addressing the emotional fallout and practical consequences of a single digital decision, the creative strategy sits squarely within what Clapboard’s taxonomy describes as FORMAT#5—Exemplary Story, where the organization’s identity and solution are inseparable from the arc and resolution of the protagonist’s ordeal. The campaign further capitalized on sustained reach by garnering nearly 400,000 views and robust engagement across social platforms, allowing the urgency and relevance of its message to reverberate well beyond its initial media placements and sparking critical conversation among families, educators, and policymakers. Clapboard rates this 71/100. In an era where digital safety occupies a growing share of social and legislative attention, this campaign signals the importance of crafting story-driven, emotionally urgent interventions that make institutional solutions personal and immediate.

Credits

Client

Children of the Street Society

Agency

Cossette

Creative Director

Michael Milardo

Art Director

Bart Batchelor

Producer

April Haffenden, Andrea MacFarlane

Studio Artist

Rob Horsman

Video Director

Clinton Hussey

Editor

Chris Nielsen

Digital Brand Director

Kate Chalmers

Category Mind Map

48%

The "I Shared a Photo" campaign by Children of the Street Society leverages a compelling narrative to communicate the risks associated with sharing private images online, particularly among youth. The campaign’s core proposition centers on the promise of safeguarding children and young people from sexual exploitation by raising awareness of the unintended consequences of seemingly trustful digital interactions. By illustrating the story of a young girl whose private photo is shared beyond her control, the campaign underscores the vulnerability of children in the evolving digital landscape and positions the organization as a proactive force dedicated to prevention through education and early intervention. Strategically, the campaign taps into a salient insight: the ease and ubiquity of new technologies amplify the risk of harmful content proliferation in ways that parents and youth may underestimate. The creative approach employs a social experiment format, told through multiple cell phone screens to mimic real-life digital experiences, making the message relatable and urgent for both children and their guardians. This multi-platform presence—in schools, transit shelters, and nightlife venues—ensures the message reaches diverse audiences in relevant contexts, reinforcing the seriousness of digital privacy and consent. This targeting of parents and youth simultaneously addresses the gap in awareness and invites a collective responsibility for safeguarding children from exploitation, amplifying public engagement through visible, accessible touchpoints and an emotionally resonant story.

FORMAT#5 EXEMPLARY STORY — Tells a story where the product plays a vital role in the plot or resolution. This campaign most closely aligns with the Exemplary Story format. The narrative centers on a young girl's personal experience—sharing a private photo online—and the harmful consequences that unfold. The campaign uniquely structures her tale across various digital and physical touchpoints, dramatizing real-world risks without resorting to symbolism or generalized problem statements. The organization itself (“Children of the Street Society”) is positioned as the solution provider through its proactive educational mission; thus, the product (the organization and its initiatives) emerges as pivotal to both recognizing and resolving the depicted issue. The narrative arc, focus on a protagonist, and clear moral ensure an exemplary story-driven structure rather than an abstract, symbolic, or presenter-led approach. ADVERTISING FORMATS EXPLAINED: https://www.clapboard.com/blog/branding-and-advertising/brand-strategy/12-advertising-creative-formats

1. Covenant House Toronto – Positioned as a comprehensive provider of shelter, education, and support services for homeless and at-risk youth, Covenant House emphasizes a trauma-informed, youth-centered approach. They differentiate through 24/7 emergency services combined with long-term programs focused on empowerment and life skills development. 2. Kids Help Phone – Serving as Canada’s national 24/7 counseling service for youth, Kids Help Phone differentiates by leveraging digital platforms to provide confidential mental health support. Their focus on accessibility and anonymity through phone and online chat sets them apart in assisting vulnerable youth nationwide. 3. Raising the Roof – This organization tackles homelessness through preventive measures and advocacy alongside direct support. Their strategic angle is combining policy influence with community partnerships to reduce youth homelessness and improve affordable housing solutions across Canada. 4. ShelterSafe – Although primarily a platform, ShelterSafe uniquely positions itself by connecting women, youth, and children fleeing violence with available shelter resources across Canada. Their tech-driven resource mapping addresses a critical information gap in public service access. 5. The John Howard Society of Canada – Focused on justice reintegration and support for vulnerable populations, including youth facing homelessness, they differentiate by integrating rehabilitation programs with housing services to reduce recidivism and support social inclusion.

Q: What is I Shared a Photo about? A: I Shared a Photo is a 2013 digital campaign created by Cossette for Children of the Street Society in Canada, targeting the prevention of sexual exploitation among youth. The campaign centers on the true-to-life story of a young girl who shares a private photo online, only to experience unintended and harmful consequences. Through a mix of digital storytelling, physical posters in schools and public spaces, and a compelling video, the campaign aims to raise awareness among both parents and children about the risks of sharing intimate images in the digital age, positioning the organization as a proactive advocate for child safety. Q: What creative device does I Shared a Photo use? A: I Shared a Photo employs the Exemplary Story format, as classified by Clapboard’s 12-format taxonomy. The campaign builds its narrative around a single protagonist—a young girl whose experience with sharing a private photo online unfolds across multiple digital and physical touchpoints. Rather than relying on abstraction or symbolism, the story is told directly through cell phone screens and real-world placements, making the risks of digital sharing tangible and immediate. The organization itself is cast as the solution provider, ensuring the narrative arc is both personal and action-oriented. Q: What is the campaign proposition for I Shared a Photo? A: The campaign proposition for I Shared a Photo is to safeguard children and young people from sexual exploitation by highlighting the real-world risks associated with sharing private images online. Children of the Street Society positions itself as an essential resource for prevention, education, and family support, targeting both youth and their parents to bridge the awareness gap in digital safety. By dramatizing the consequences of a seemingly innocent digital interaction, the campaign underscores the urgency of early intervention and collective responsibility in protecting vulnerable youth within the public interest sector. Q: How does I Shared a Photo rank in Clapboard's archive? A: I Shared a Photo holds a Clapboard Campaign Score of 71/100. This score reflects the campaign’s creative ambition, execution quality, and cultural relevance as evaluated by Clapboard’s global ad archive. Q: Who are the competitors in Children of the Street Society's category? A: In the public service and youth protection sector, Children of the Street Society operates alongside organizations such as Covenant House Toronto, which focuses on trauma-informed shelter and empowerment programs for at-risk youth, and Kids Help Phone, which offers confidential, nationwide mental health support through digital platforms. Raising the Roof addresses youth homelessness through advocacy and community partnerships, while ShelterSafe connects vulnerable populations to shelter resources using technology-driven mapping. The John Howard Society of Canada provides justice reintegration and housing support for vulnerable youth, rounding out a competitive landscape committed to prevention, intervention, and support for at-risk children and youth.