Together with Not Norm, a Cape Town agency, the Boy Scouts of South Africa have devised a new ad campaign designed to convey a powerful message.
Many parents enroll their children in organizations like Brownies, Cubs, and Scouts so they can develop useful life skills. Skills like team building and cooperation, and to instill them with a sense of responsibility and dedication.
This short video ad portrays a boy who rushes out into the ocean and swims to rescue a drowning friend. The boy pulls the unconscious girl to safety on the shore, where he applies CPR he learned back as a scout. Moments later, the image of the boy becomes the image of a man, and the girl regains consciousness. The man emphatically embraces the young girl, who is, presumably, his own daughter.
The ad succeeds in conveying that important abilities learned at a young age will stick with you your entire life. A boy scout who knows CPR can save his friends. A man who was once a scout can save his family. What is there to lose?
Also, who else did not know South Africa had boy scouts? I thought that was an American thing. But I guess I was wrong. South African boy scouts probably hunt lions and wrestle wildebeests – maybe that will be in their next ad.