Dana Point Police Services appointed Real Life Brand Architecture to collaborate on the development of it’s new campaign: Hide it. Lock it. Or Lose it. Lt. Mark Levy said that they needed a message that would be friendly to the citizens of Dana Point, and was delighted by the fresh ideas that surfaced during this journey.

Real Life designed a symbol that was easily identifiable from a distance – and has the ability to quickly remind people to simply, “hide their stuff and lock their cars.” Students from Dana Hills High School were enlisted to set up scenarios that would truly convey a visual message which are now running in print ads around town.

CHALLENGE: Thefts from unlocked cars represent the most frequently committed crimes in Dana Point, yet are easy to prevent. Dana Point Police wanted an awareness campaign around the message: “Hide it. Lock it. Or lose it.”

STRATEGY: Development of a comprehensive website that carried the message, along with related advertising efforts to raise awareness.

CREATIVE: Brand identity included an iconic symbol that is easily recognized to serve as a reminder to protect valuables from theft.

RESULTS: While currently being launched, Dana Point Police are optimistic that these crimes can be dramatically reduced.

Click to see the site.

This past week Real Life Brand Architecture launched the sister campaign to Dana Point’s Hide it. Lock it. Or Lose it. campaign. Uniquely named SHWAZOOKI.

As we were developing the Hide it campaign we knew that we needed to speak a different language to get the attention of  the younger audience of Dana Point.  To the point, the high school students at Dana Hills High School have had their own challenges of petty thefts.  Many of which are unattended backpacks, which have things such as cell phones, iPods, credit cards and cash.

We discovered the word Shwazooki frrom the urban dictionary, meaning “to hide or stash your stuff.” Please, take a look at the new site: Shwazooki.com. As part of the campaign launch we’ve printed up stickers for the students to put on notebooks and lockers, as well as surfboard hang-tags to place on their backpacks as a friendly reminder to “Hide it. Lock it. Or Lose it.”

CHALLENGE: As a complementary campaign to “Hide it. Lock it. Or lose it.,” a specific awareness effort was required to target younger audiences in Dana Point with a similar message.

STRATEGY: Enlist high school students to participate in the development of the campaign, which features imagery and messaging relevant to this audience.

CREATIVE: Development and promotion of “Shwazooki” as a slang term meaning “to hide or protect” your belongings.

RESULTS: Campaign is currently being launched, but “Shwazooki” is already gaining attention and use among teenagers.

Click to see the site.