Behind the Scenes of Our 'Really?' Campaign with West Midlands Police

We've recently had the pleasure of working with West Midlands Police on Really?, a youth crime prevention campaign designed to challenge perceptions of shop theft and encourage young people to think about the consequences of their actions.

The campaign explores how a seemingly small decision, such as stealing a chocolate bar, can lead to much bigger consequences, while showing how friends can positively influence each other's choices.

At Clevercherry, we managed the project from start to finish, from developing the initial creative concept and writing the script to storyboarding, casting, filming, and producing the final video content.

Here's how we brought it all together.

The Brief: Making Young People Stop and Think

West Midlands Police approached us with a challenge: to create a campaign that would help prevent shop theft and anti-social behaviour among 10 to 17-year-olds across the West Midlands.

The aim was to highlight the potential long-term consequences of low-level offending, not just for the individual involved, but for their families, local businesses, and wider communities.

Importantly, the focus was on prevention rather than enforcement. The campaign needed to encourage young people to make better choices and understand how their actions could affect their future.

We knew that simply telling young people not to steal wasn't going to be enough.

Instead, we needed an idea that would capture their attention, feel relevant to their everyday experiences, and get them thinking.

Our creative team developed four concepts in response to the brief, with West Midlands Police selecting Really?, an idea centred around turning peer pressure on its head.

The Creative Concept: Turning Peer Pressure into Something Positive

Peer pressure is often associated with young people encouraging each other to make poor decisions. We wanted to challenge that idea by showing how friends can also be a positive influence.

The film follows two young boys in a shop, where one is faced with the temptation to steal a chocolate bar.

As the pressure builds, we see how that seemingly small decision could spiral into further offending, with consequences that could affect his future.

But before he makes the wrong choice, his friend steps in and challenges him with one simple question.

Really?

It's a small intervention that changes the direction of the story.

Rather than relying on a traditional crime prevention message, we wanted to create something relatable that would encourage young people to question their decisions and recognise the influence they can have on those around them.

From Creative Concept to Camera

Once the concept was approved, we got to work bringing the idea to life.

We developed the script and storyboards, carefully planning how the story would unfold on screen and how we could communicate the potential consequences of one decision within a short film.

We shortlisted actors and held in-person auditions to find the right young performers for the two main roles. With so much of the story centred around the interaction between the boys, it was important that their performances felt natural and believable.

With the script finalised, actors selected, and filming plans in place, we were ready for production.

One Shop, Two Actors, and a Day of Filming

We filmed the entire campaign in just one day, taking over a shop that had been closed especially for the shoot.

Having the location to ourselves meant we could work through the scenes, set up different shots, and bring the storyboard to life without the interruptions of a busy retail environment.

It was a brilliant day on set, with the cast and crew working together to capture everything we needed.

Despite the serious message behind the campaign, there was a great atmosphere throughout filming, and it was particularly rewarding to see the young actors bring the characters to life.

We also captured plenty of behind-the-scenes footage throughout the day, giving a glimpse into what goes on during a production like this. It's always exciting to see an idea move from the initial concept to the finished film.

Creating Content for Social Media

Alongside the main campaign film, we produced a series of shorter reels for West Midlands Police to share across social media.

These edits highlight key moments from the film in a shorter, more engaging format, helping the campaign's message reach younger audiences across different platforms.

It's something we consider throughout our video production projects at Clevercherry. A single shoot can provide opportunities to create content for different audiences and platforms, helping clients get more value from their production.

A Project We're Proud to Have Worked On

Really? has been a particularly rewarding project for our team, combining creative thinking and professional video production with a message that has the potential to make a genuine difference.

We're proud to have helped create a campaign that challenges perceptions of low-level offending. We hope Really? resonates with young people across the West Midlands and encourages them to recognise the positive influence they can have on those around them.

If you're looking to develop a creative campaign, produce engaging video content or bring an idea to life from concept through to completion, get in touch with us to discuss how our creative and video production team can help you connect with your audience and achieve your goals.

To find out more about our work with West Midlands Police, explore our West Midlands Police brand study, or take a closer look at how we brought Really? to life in our dedicated project study.