Serious Topics. Unlikely Messengers. Impossible to Ignore.
The outcome
A puppet-led social campaign that used disarming, relatable characters to bring everyday legal problems to life, helping people see themselves in the situation, take in the facts and understand their rights.
Strategic logic
Fines, debts, housing, work: civil law problems are part of everyday life. Yet many people don’t realise they have legal solutions, or that Legal Aid NSW can help. These situations are also deeply personal and sensitive, and can be difficult to communicate authentically. We needed something that could engage and disarm. So we built a character-based campaign rooted in narrative transportation. When people connect with characters and become immersed in a relatable story, they lower their usual critical defences, become more receptive to the message, and are more likely to remember it. Sock puppets were the ideal storytellers. With no age, background or status to judge, they let anyone see themselves in the story, shifting attention from the messenger to the message. And, like civil law, socks are part of everyday life. For a trusted legal service, it was a bold call, so we tested it first. The findings sharpened the final cut. Every video ends in the same place: find your rights, right there.
