• by Larissa Faw , January 14, 2021

WWE personality Titus O’Neil is lending its talents to help one of his personal missions to raise awareness about human trafficking.

O’Neil volunteered to be featured in broadcast commercials and will conduct on-air interviews to further extend and promote awareness of the campaign.

The initiative, developed with FKQ Advertising + Marketing on behalf of the Hillsborough County Commission on Human Trafficking, is designed around Tampa Bay, host city of Super Bowl LV on Feb. 7. 

The big game, along with most other massive sporting events, drive increased demand for commercial sex services and related activities such as sex trafficking to meet demand for such services.

The creative is centered around three key pillars — don’t be a victim, helping to spot victims, and don’t commit a crime — using the “Don’t Buy It, Tampa Bay” tagline. The complementary images use bold colors to grab attention and feature a variety of demographics that are representative of who is targeted. The messaging directs people to text anonymous tips, and for victims to call 211 for immediate help.

O’Neil’s star power is likely to help increase the visibility of the project. He is a local resident and his mother was a victim of sexual abuse. Agency leaders reached out to him personally with the help of the Tampa Bay Sports Commission.

The campaign encompasses TV, radio, out-of-home billboards, digital and social media, and print publications. Most of these placements have been donated by FKQ’s long-standing media partners. This $150,000 awareness campaign is designed to yield an estimated 62.5 million impressions.

The effort launched in November and will ramp up during the days before the big game, particularly in areas where the Super Bowl and related activity will be concentrated, such as Downtown Tampa, Ybor City, and Raymond James Stadium, as well as in hotels and other businesses where solicitation can occur.