England football heroes take part in anti-knife crime viral

England football stars David Beckham, Rio Ferdinand and David James will star in a series viral ads as part of the Home Office’s ongoing campaign against knife crime. The ads will be seeded through social network site Bebo.

The move comes after Beckham, Ferdinand and James appeared with Home Secretary Jacqui Smith at a press conference backing the Government’s It Doesn’t Have to Happen anti-knife crime drive on Monday (August 18).

At the event, Beckham revealed how a childhood friend had been left paralysed after being stabbed.

The Home Office hopes to build on the success of the attention-grabbing press conference by seeding the viral ads on a specially created It Doesn’t Have to Happen Bebo page. The page also hosts a Home Office competition to design a campaign logo.

Ferdinand and James are also believed to be in discussions with Smith and Deputy Assistant Commissioner Alf Hitchcock, leading police officer on the initiative. It is thought a number of ideas are being developed to back the campaign, including supporting Ferdinand’s Live the Dream foundation, set up to mentor teenagers.

The Government’s anti-knife advertising work is handled by Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Y&R.