Ogilvy cleans up at DMAs with 'Have a Word' campaign

Ogilvy UK has scooped this year’s DMA grand prix – its first for a decade despite dominating the shortlist for years – for its hard-hitting campaign for the Mayor of London, which is designed to tackle sexist attitudes and inappropriate male behaviour towards women and girls.

The “Have a Word” activity also scooped six golds on a night dominated by the WPP-owned agency, which also won two golds for Relate, and one apiece for Unilever, Vodafone, and Formula One.

Built with behavioral science insights, the main “Have a Word” campaign video features a group of young men at a corner shop, joking, messing around and bantering with each other.

As they step out, one spots a girl, sitting alone on a bench and waiting for her taxi and starts harassing her in what he claims is just a joke. However, as his friends watch the way in which he speaks to the girl, one of them internalises and remembers, “Have a word with yourself, then your mates.” He stops his friend and lets the girl get away.

The campaign is designed to gets men to think about their own behaviour, and how they should challenge the behaviour of their friends, giving every man an active role in tackling the problem and creating change.

When it was launched, in March this year, Ogilvy PR creative and strategy officer for the EMEA region Charlie Coney said: “I’m terrified of my young daughter living in a world where she’s wolf-whistled at, verbally harassed or threatened by men who don’t think they’re doing anything wrong – and whose mates stand by and do nothing.

“A man kills a woman every three days in the UK and this brief gave everyone at Ogilvy a chance to stop men being the worst they can be.”

Meanwhile, the awards night also saw Rapp take home three golds (for Ikea, Samsung and TV Licensing), as did Havas CX Helia (two for Lloyds and one for Toolstation), and Oliver (Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice, Unilever’s Pot Noodles, and Matey Bubble Bath).

Two golds went to Merkle (VW and Currys), MG OMD (both for Specsavers) and Digitas (EE and Oreo).

The only category which did not award a gold was travel and leisure.

You have to go back to 2012 for such a successful night for Ogilvy UK, when it scooped the DMA grand prix and nine golds for its campaign for industrial weighing scales manufacturer Kern & Sohn.

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