Bravehearts and Engine Expose the Hidden Face of Grooming in New Behaviour Change Campaign

Few issues are more confronting than child sexual abuse, not just for what it involves, but for how often it occurs within the walls we trust.

79% of child sexual abuse survivors knew their abuser.

When Bravehearts and UnLtd brought us that statistic, our hearts sunk.

These weren’t strangers in white panel vans. They were neighbours. Family friends. Grandparents. Siblings. Even parents. People who could build trust, then exploit it.

That’s grooming.

And if we can’t recognise grooming, abusers appear as harmless as the children they’re targeting. So, we worked with Bravehearts to arm the public with the knowledge they need to recognise it by showing them what grooming can look like, and how it hides.

The campaign marks the first step in a long-term behaviour change strategy, designed to shift how the nation understands and responds to this insidious act. It follows more than a year of collaboration between Bravehearts and Engine Group. The process was grounded in research, lived experience from victim-survivors, trauma-informed consultation, community insights, and deep creative exploration.

We brought the campaign to life through a powerful and haunting film, directed by internationally acclaimed filmmaker Leah Purcell, secured via Engine’s long-standing relationship with TAXI Film Production.

This creative launch is being supported by the largest coordinated pro bono media campaign ever to come out of the Queensland market. Generous media partners across TV, OOH, press, radio and digital, led by the team at Wavemaker, came together to deliver this message at scale.

Alison Geale, CEO of Bravehearts said:
“Grooming doesn’t look like danger; it looks like kindness, helpfulness, and trustworthiness. Offenders deliberately present as ‘good people’ — the kind who offer to help with school pickups, coach the footy team, or spend time with your child one-on-one under the guise of care.

And it is not just the child who is targeted. Groomers also manipulate parents, carers, schools, and organisations, building credibility so suspicions are dismissed and access to the child is easier to maintain. That’s why it’s so critical we learn to identify behaviours that may seem harmless but are actually red flags.”

Tim Weger, Managing Director and Owner of Engine Group, says:
“As creators of positive change, we have a natural affinity with not-for-profits and have provided extensive pro bono support to some incredible charitable organisations over the years.

However, the reason we committed to providing 100 percent pro bono services to Bravehearts was because we knew from the very first meeting with the Bravehearts team that they would trust us implicitly to deliver extraordinary work through the power of creativity. And every step of the way since that meeting, they’ve done exactly that. Demonstrating the power of a client–agency relationship built on kindness, mutual trust, respect, and collaboration. The work is absolutely evidence of that.

We promised to partner with the very best production partners in town and leverage relationships built over the last 25 years. We’ve been humbled by the level of support received for Bravehearts, but not surprised, as there are some very big hearts in this town.

Securing Leah as our film director is just one of many gifts that continue to leave the Bravehearts team blown away.”

Mike Fritz, Creative Director at Engine, adds:
“The weight of this brief was immense. We weren’t just creating a campaign – we were contributing to a cultural shift that could protect countless children across the country.

How do you begin to tackle something so repugnant, so confronting, that most people instinctively turn away? In our eyes, you stop it before it starts. By helping people recognise the signs early, and by encouraging parents to stay vigilant about who their children spend time with.

To play even a small role in that kind of positive change isn’t just a creative challenge. It’s a responsibility. And it’s one we carried with real pride.”

The campaign rolls out nationally from Sunday the 1st of June across TV, OOH, press, radio and digital.

If you or anyone you know needs help, advice or support, please visit bravehearts.org.au.

ENGINE GROUP
Tim Weger – Managing Director
Mike Fritz – Creative Director
Dianne Grice – Client Services Director, Strategist
Saxon Squire – Senior Account Manager
Aiken Hutcheson – Copywriter
Mark Smith – Senior Creative
Liam Marsden – Art Director
Megan Le-Nguyen – Studio Manager

TAXI FILM PRODUCTION
Andrew Wareham – Executive Producer
Leah Purcell OAM – Director
Mark Wareham – Director of Photography
Kohbe Vela-Smith – General Manager
Jill McMahon – Senior Producer
Alessandria Riding – Production Manager
Justin Lyons – 1st AD
Josh Bailey – 1st AC
Havery Robinson – 2nd AC
Glenn Jones – Gaffer
Tom Waddington – Lighting Assistant
Matthew Porter – Art Director
Josh Turner – Grip
Sophie Borra – Wardrobe Stylist
Linda Jordan – Hair and Makeup Artist
Ruby Masterton – Art Assistant
Ken Kimura – BTS, Editor
Mitch Young – Editor
Erich Bailey – Unit
Kristie Corkill – Runner
Hans Salceda – Runner
Harry Dodd – Locations
Nat Set Catering – Catering
Kali Bateman – Colourist

PHOTOGRAPHY
Sam Scoufos – Stills Photographer
Dominic Lasaitis – Stills Assistant
Derek Leong – Retoucher

AUDIO – Rosco Audio
Ross Batten – Senior Sound Designer
Sarah Ritchie – Producer

DIGITAL PARTNER
Daniel Button – Muse

MUSIC COMPOSITION
Raf Mikolajczyk – Composer

CASTING – Ben Parkinson Casting
Michelle Clancy – Casting Director

AGENTS
Essential Crew
Glass Management
The Next Set
Gilchrist Management
Synergy Management
SnackBox Agency
KAM Voices

TALENT
Voice Over
Maisie Holtam
Fraser Brown
Courtney Amato
Trent Christie
Fred Leone
Tim Jackman
Film Talent
Mila Rogers
Edward Hill
Eric Liu Challinger
Kiko Tulk
Harvey Ware
Ava-Rosemary Kona
Karen Boorer
Chris Ryan
Donna Van Der Byl
Ken Rosser
Shria Rambiritch
Anderson De Oliveira
Victoria Edwards
Daniel Nwankwo
Meranda Herft
Elisha Salkeld
Mirabelle Herft
Sophie Salkeld

MEDIA, PR & PARTNERS
UnLtd
Wavemaker Brisbane
SCA
The Shannon Company