Join the Ready

DFES INVITES WEST AUSTRALIANS TO ‘JOIN THE READY’ IN NEW CAMPAIGN VIA RARE

DFES aims to bring a fresh approach to emergency preparedness, aligning bushfire, cyclone, storm and flood safety under a single message: Join the Ready.

Western Australia’s unique natural environment comes with a high risk of natural hazards, which means we all need to be prepared. But rather than treating this a chore that we all tackle individually, the campaign aims to turn preparedness into a movement that everyone can be part of.

The Ready are making their emergency plans, setting up watch zones and preparing their homes. To help keep your household safe, it’s time for you to join them.

Christian Di Virgilio, Strategist at Rare, said “We noticed in WA, we’ve got a bad habit of mistaking relaxation for readiness. We’ve weathered fires and cyclones for so long that we treat winging it like a badge of honour. We pride ourselves on being self-reliant, but that classic 'we'll be right' attitude just leaves our emergency services picking up the pieces every year. The truth is, winging it isn't tough, it's just selfish. We needed to hijack that ego and shift the mindset, showing everyone that the ultimate brag isn't needing a dramatic rescue, it’s being the household that’s prepared for anything nature might throw your way.”

Developed and produced by creative agency Rare and directed by Frank Carroll, the campaign features three households completing their emergency preparation and ‘Joining the Ready’. To cut through community warning fatigue, the spots use light-hearted visuals and a rousing musical score: a Panda Candy recreation of the iconic Rocky theme, ‘Gonna Fly Now’.

“From Ratatouille to Kill Bill, nothing says ‘ready’ like a training montage. We used this cinematic language to show just how easy preparing your household is and to encourage West Australians to feel proud of doing their little bit in assisting emergency services ahead of natural hazards” says Rob Mead, ACD at Rare.

“Whether you live in a regional area, the suburbs or the inner city, everyone in WA needs to be prepared for natural hazards. The ‘Join the Ready’ campaign aims to normalise crucial preparedness behaviours like creating an emergency plan and setting your watch zones in Emergency WA in a positive and engaging way” said Kent Acott, Director Strategic and Emergency Communications at DFES.

“We hope the campaign inspires West Aussie households to plan and prepare for emergencies, as even the smallest preparedness actions contribute to the broader resilience of WA communities.”

The campaign is now live across TVC, radio, online and OOH.