Fit to fight cyber crime one password at a time

A fighting chance

Cyber criminals will always find the path of least resistance, and password security remains a major soft spot. Alarming stats report that two in five people will have their passwords stolen and private accounts subsequently hacked. Because cyber crime is so widespread in its attempts, we figured a focused campaign around this specific detail would be easier for our audience to action.

Drop and gimme 15 (characters)

Physical fitness is a trending topic for all South Africans. In a world where everybody is online, we wanted to make cyber security as important as looking after your physical strength – after all, we live online. So we manifested the physical online with the help of a sassy password drill sergeant. This way we were able to grab the attention of an audience that are somewhat unresponsive to serious content, and at the same time, help whip our online community into immediate action.

Getting cyber strong

We developed an interactive microsite here: www.becyberstrong.co.za, where online users could test the strength of their password as well as get coached on how to create strong passwords – in real time. The best part is, users could watch a physical representation of how their weak passwords transformed into bone-crushing thugs, strong enough to fight off cyber crime. Once users had created a password that was strong enough, they could challenge a friend on social media to test their passwords too – thereby creating a fun cycle of shares and likes all carrying a very important underlying message of password safety.

Win-win

Engaging online content is all about leveraging the reward-driven power of interactive media. Simply put, our password tester would reward users with immediate results in exchange for their engagement with the site. With the added bonus of a chuckle or two and strategic media planning, our campaign message reached over a million users with a dwell time of 1:30 minutes. For such a heavy topic as cyber security, we were pushing some strong numbers and are proud of our contribution to the fight against cyber crime.

Go on, get cyber strong and test your password strength here: www.becyberstrong.co.za.

About So Interactive

So Interactive is a creative agency that delivers digital-first marketing experiences and products that drive business results. The company specialises in strategy, creative, content, social media and technology. Incepted in 2007, So Interactive has grown its portfolio exponentially from a specialised, small design and build studio to a full service digital agency that meets the demands of industry diversity. Sectors of service range from retail to beverage, lifestyle to automotive. Based in Gauteng South Africa, So Interactive aims to play at the forefront of the digital landscape, keeping its clients ahead of rapidly changing trends in the digital space. Darren Mansour is the founder of So Interactive, celebrating its 10th year of digital. So Interactive was recognised in 2018 for Mobile Excellence by Awwwards - the first SA Agency to achieve this. For more info visit www.sointeractive.co.za.