An update on the Get On campaign, which aims to engage learners in Skills for Life
‘We are currently developing Get On campaign plans for 2006-2007. As you know, the Get On campaign aims to raise awareness of adult basic skills issues, reduce the stigma attached to basic skills learning and boost demand for Skills for Life learning. We are pleased to say that we have had confirmation from Ministers in DfES that they would like to run the Get On national television advertising campaign once again this autumn. The advertisements, featuring the well-known "gremlins" characters, will run throughout September 2006 and encourage potential learners to call learndirect to find out about free Skills for Life courses in their local area.
The TV advertisements will be used across a range of terrestrial, digital and satellite channels this year and will include the "Bad Dad" and "Bubble Gum" executions.
– The ‘Bad Dad’ advert is in a home setting and features a young girl asking her Dad for help with her maths homework. His ‘gremlin’ appears and mocks his poor maths skills. "Ask your mum," he suggests to the daughter – "she’s out," comes the reply. "Why don’t you use a calculator?" he asks – "that’s cheating," says the daughter. "Dad, I need help NOW." The face of the worried-looking Dad is replaced by the end frame and a voiceover encouraging the viewer to get rid of their gremlins by calling 0800 100 900. This execution has been shown to have universal appeal to the Skills for Life target audience, although it is targeted towards the lower levels of Skills for Life learners and will have particular resonance with parents and those not in employment. This version of the advert will appear mostly in the daytime with some evening showings.
– ‘Bubble Gum’, represents a progression from the situation in the first advert. It features a woman working in an office who arrives to find an envelope that obviously contains the results of a course she has done. Her ‘gremlin’ appears and mocks her attempts to better herself through learning. The woman smiles as she opens the envelope to find a certificate showing that she has passed. The gremlin goes into convulsions at the sight of the qualification certificate and eventually explodes. The voiceover encourages the viewer to get rid of their gremlins by calling 0800 100 900. Again, this advert has been shown to have universal appeal to the target audience, although the messages are aimed towards the higher levels of Skills for Life learners and those in employment. The advert features implicit messages about gaining qualifications and progressing to further learning. This version of the advert will appear in the evenings, after 7.30pm.
You’ll note that these are adverts that have been used in previous year’s campaigns – there aren’t any "new" adverts or related stills etc, so the promotional materials already out in the field (and available from the Get On campaign office) will still be relevant.
The campaign will, as usual, be supported by a range of projects, events and PR & promotional activity – and will be linked to other work in this area. The release of the adverts in September will be preceded by a press release sent to national media. More detailed campaign information will be sent out in due course and will also be posted on the news section of the Read Write Plus website .’
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Source: DfES Communications Team
