Walk Away
The Walk Away campaign, commissioned by Leicestershire Police, focused on preventing
homicides and violent crime in Leicester’s nightlife hotspots. The campaign promoted positive social norms and saw collaboration with police and local agencies to create safer nights out.
Date
Oct – Dec 2023
Client
Leicestershire Police
Scope of work
- Brand development & visual identity
- Campaign development & activation
- Creative messaging and copywriting
- Research and analysis
- Training and toolkit development
- UX and website development
What we did
Our approach to developing the Walk Away campaign was rooted in a robust combination of research and community engagement. We conducted expert interviews with Professor Mark Levine, a leader in bystander effect studies, and carried out on-the-ground patch walks to observe real-time behaviour in Leicester’s night-time economy. This was complemented by a small survey of white males aged 18-30, focusing on social and environmental triggers of violence. 75% of survey participants reported that they had stopped a friend from getting into a fight, and 100% stated they would feel more confident intervening if they knew how.
This feedback shaped the core campaign mission – empowering individuals to make a difference by intervening safely and effectively. By integrating behavioural theory with local
insights, we conducted a behavioural diagnosis using the COM-B model designed to appraise capability, opportunity and motivation. Our findings indicated that guiding young men to recognise and diffuse situations early on could significantly reduce the potential for violence.
The research revealed common trigger points for violence during nights out; such as spilt drinks, unwanted attention, or perceived slights. To tackle this, we created a series of simple, actionable statements designed to help peers identify and potentially volatile situations.
The creative execution of the campaign was tailored to its environment using urban textures, neon colours, and bold typographic treatments to ensure the messaging stood out in low-light, crowded spaces typical of nightlife settings. Campaign visuals showcased male role models enjoying their night out, promoting the positive group dynamics we aimed to foster. The campaign name, Walk Away, became a memorable call to action, offering an assertive yet upbeat tone to resonate with the target audience, positioning the message as coming from a peer, not an authority.
Campaign impact
The Walk Away campaign has been hailed as a success, with highly targeted digital ads achieving strong engagement from the target demographic. By creating a tangible sense of responsibility amongst young men, Walk Away’s effectiveness lies in its ability to speak directly to its audience, helping to create a culture where intervention is seen as a natural and positive action. This culture shift, over time, will be critical to creating safer nights out up and down the country.
75%
of website users engaged
with the advice on how to
handle trigger points.
333%
higher in click-through rate than the industry average, demonstrating active engagement from the target audience.
1 million
impressions over the campaign’s initial 2 month period.
TESTIMONIAL
“Magpie played a pivotal role in the success of Leicestershire Police’s Walk Away campaign, aimed at reducing serious violence in the night-time economy. The team worked tirelessly, offering creative and strategic support to ensure the campaign achieved its core objective. The collaboration was positive, and Magpie’s dedication contributed to the campaign being endorsed by key partners locally, winning a national award and being adopted as an asset by upwards of 20 police forces across the country. Their expertise and commitment were essential in supporting these achievements.”
The strategic placement of campaign assets maximised their impact. Messaging was delivered in the lead-up to nights out, targeting individuals when they were more receptive. Spotify ads reached the audience through party playlists, Google search ads appeared for those seeking taxis and nightlife options, while a Snapchat augmented reality (AR) lens activated around popular nightlife locations. Complementing these were awareness ads on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat.
The website worked to support the campaign and provide the target audience with more in depth information about when and how to best step in. Heat mapping of the website showed that 75% of users engaged with the advice on how to handle trigger points
Magpie also developed a shareable quiz that explored different friendship roles, providing personalised advice and encouraging group reflection on how to prevent escalating situations. Heat mapping of the campaign website revealed that 75% of users engaged with advice on managing common triggers. In December, the campaign expanded nationally, with 11 police forces adopting the initiative. A toolbox of materials, including posters, out-of-home ads, and social media assets, was made easily accessible for a seamless roll-out across the country.
The national rollout, supported by 11 police forces, was met with positive feedback from key stakeholders within the night-time economy. Josh, a bar manager at Mosh nightclub, commented: “This was a fantastic marketing campaign… You’ve done the right thing by having a mix of different strategies to get the message across. They’re all playing a role in making the point.”
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