Scare Tactics: Get Broadview Security, Or Else!

Brinks, a brand long associated with "security," is re-branding. And it's doing it with some incredible, take-no-prisoners advertising, targeted at women's worst fears.

The iconic security brand is spinning off its home alarm unit into a new brand, Broadview Security, for reasons involving licensing and taxation issues. The re-branding effort is estimated to cost up to $120 million.

But it's the "how" of the effort that is noteworthy. And by "how," I mean "scaring the crap out of people."

In ads that seem to increase in frequency and extremity, Broadview systems are shown saving damsels in distress. Except these aren't fairy-tale damsels, these are modern-day young women, alone, threatened with horrible possibilities such as beatings and rape. The ads employ tricks straight out of horror films: dark rainy scenes, pictures that reveal a threatening spectre.

Essentially, Broadview's ad messaging is "We'll keep you from getting raped. Or worse." (See these clips.) The ads have been running regularly on female-demo networks like WE.

Is it working? Maybe. The company's Q3 numbers show a fall in the brand's quarterly profit over a year ago, but a 6.1% increase in revenue. 

But is this a wise move? The ads certainly are unforgettable. But that could backfire if consumers unconsciously associate their fears with the Broadview brand itself.