Missing People

Based On A True Story

Missing People is the only UK charity dedicated to the support of missing people and their families. Yet in a society obsessed with true crime documentaries about missing people, nobody was paying to the very charity dedicated to helping them. We needed to bring Missing People and their role of support to the forefront of national conversation.

Rather than lecturing people on the great work Missing People does, we Trojan Horse’d it.

Our campaign hacked one of the nation’s most-loved genres, by launching our own drama. We released a short film that pulled the curtain back on the industry, and a boxset to perfectly mimic the allure of a streaming hit. Even the OOH mirrored how society judges real cases by their marketability.

A massive moment that shifted national conversation. In its debut week, Based on a True Story reached 3.7 billion media impressions and 14 million people across social. The campaign broke into broadcast — ITV News, GMB, Channel 5 — reaching an audience of 22.8 million. An 18% surge in traffic to MissingPeople.org.uk showed that attention was converting into action. Then it reached the highest levels of government, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer personally endorsed the Responsible Narratives Charter — 159 pledges secured, including 16 major media figures committing to change how missing persons stories are told.