Tech's a Modern Trojan Horse in This Cautionary Tale About Protecting Kids

The story of the Trojan Horse gets a disturbing, modern spin from the Canadian Centre for Child Protection (C3P). The organization helps parents safeguard their children from online predators.

No Fixed Address teamed up with director Meredith Hama-Brown to create “The Horse,” a 60-second PSA that retells the tale of ancient Greeks besting the Trojans thanks to a huge wooden horse.

It’s all about hiding in plain sight—as the Greek army was concealed inside the statue.

Slowly and dimly, C3P’s story meanders its way toward a sinister, contemporary vibe.

Filmed in one continuous shot down a dark hallway, the camera ultimately stops at a bedroom. A phone notification illuminates the scene and wakes a sleeping young person.

“Today’s Trojan Horse looks different,” the ad says. “And it’s in every child’s hand. And it’s in every predator’s hand.”

The PSA includes a CTA that asks parents to share ideas on protecting kids while also encouraging regulation for online platforms.

“In location scouting for the hallway, we sought out warmth—places that felt lived in, and loved,” says Alexis Bronstorph, chief creative officer of No Fixed Address. “It’s any family’s home, because this is a problem that affects everyone.”

“As we slowly glide down the hallway,” she continues, “unease sets in, with no real indicators as to what’s causing the tension. When the phone buzzes, it lights up the room, because the danger isn’t in the shadows of the home. It’s concealed in the brightness of our screens.”

“While parents will always be involved in teaching their children about online safety, “it’s unfair to exclusively place the responsibility on parents to keep kids safe in an unsafe environment,” Signy Arnason, associate executive director of C3P, tells Muse. “We don’t permit playgrounds to be unsafe—there are regulations. The same rules should apply to online platforms that in many ways, cater and profit off of children as a large segment of their end users.”

CREDITS

Agency: No Fixed Address
Chief Creative Officers: Alexis Bronstorph, Kelsey Horne
Sr. Copywriter: Allegra Wiesenfeld
Sr. Art Director: Reid Plaxton
Account Director: Abby Tile
VP Broadcast Production: Cherie O’Connor
Agency Producer: Spencer J. Houghton

Production Services Provider: Animals TV
Director: Meredith Hama-Brown
Director of Photography: Norm Li
Production Designer: Zosia Mackenzie
Executive Producers: Chris Hutsul, Miriana DiQuinzio
Head of Production – Liam Benstead
Sr. Producer: Gillian Marr

Offline Editorial: Saints Editorial
Editor: Ross Birchall
Assistant Editor: Phoebe Lorimer
Executive Producer: Tory Osler

Transfer/Online House: Darling VFX
Colourist: Patrick Samaniego
Colour Assistant: Eric Kingsbury
Online Artist: Alyssa Schmidt
Executive Producer: Morgan Campbell
Producer: Will Culverwell

Audio: Berkeley Inc.
EP: Tyna Maerzke
Creative Director: Jared Kuemper
Song: Chukhung by Biosphere