With social media increasingly part of daily life, the University of Central Lancashire wanted to raise awareness about the risks students face with their digital footprint.
The focus was especially around inappropriate posts, abusive language and oversharing. The aim was simple but impactful – to get students to think twice about what they share online, highlighting the long-term consequences of impulsive posts and comments.
Our approach focused on delivering this serious message with humour and relatability, designed to engage digital natives across Instagram and TikTok. Recognising that our 18-30 year old audience values individuality, convenience and short-term validation, we began by gathering insights from focus groups and reviewing recent research.
One insight came through loud and clear: while students understood the basics of social media, they often hadn’t considered how today’s posts could affect tomorrow’s opportunities.
This led to our campaign strapline “If you might regret it, forget it”. The campaign’s centrepiece was a series of TikTok-style videos, each telling the story of a relatable digital misstep.
Each scenario were filmed in a relaxed, direct-to-camera style with warm, familiar backgrounds to keep things casual, honest, and very Gen Z.