PEACH TARGETS SPORT RAGE FOR NSW SPORT & RECREATION

A few overwrought parents can ruin children’s sporting events. They rage at referees, verbally abuse young players and sometimes even engage in violent confrontations with officials or other parents.
Such uncontrolled behaviour, popularly known as “sport rage,” has become disturbingly common.
NSW Sport and Recreation recently commissioned Newcastle-based agency Peach to create a campaign to educate parents and discourage sport rage.
Peach created a vivid television and audio message with the theme: “Sport rage. Act your age.” It’s designed to show parents how ridiculous they look when they get carried away and behave in irrational, immature and potentially dangerous ways.
The video message is being shown on big screens at first-grade games and the audio broadcast on public address systems at children’s games and local sporting events.
Peach Advertising’s Managing Director Lynn Poole is enthusiastic about the campaign the agency has created.
“The campaign is seeking to socially stigmatize bad behaviour. We’re seeking to make sport ragers look bad,” Ms Poole said.
“Through long experience in community education campaigns, we understand how to change attitudes and behaviour in constructive ways.
“Humour is one of the prime tools we can use to get our client’s message through to the widest possible audience, without preaching or alienating people.
“Australians have shown that they respond to important messages presented in a humorous format.
“As a parent, I’m appalled by the bad behaviour of a few at children’s sporting events and I know that most other parents are too.
“I hope that this campaign will reduce the incidence of sport rage by making those who engage in it feel foolish, as indeed they are.”

Creative Director: Matt Johnson
Writer: Dee Madigan
Agency Producer: Kaye Brennan
Director: Anthony Davison
Production Company: Mosaic Films – Craig Bolles
Editor: Speedwedge - Leonard Coster