ACRS needed to cut through an industry crowded with technical language and complacency around compliance. The brief was to make the risk of using non-compliant steel feel immediate, personal and unavoidable for engineers, builders, certifiers and suppliers, and to clearly position ACRS Certificates of Product Compliance as the safeguard against serious professional and financial consequences.

We reframed compliance from a regulatory checkbox into a high-stakes decision. By focusing on the real-world consequences of failure, reputational damage, liability, loss of livelihood and safety risks, we developed a series of messages that spoke directly to professional accountability. Each execution was tailored for specific industry publications and audiences, while maintaining a consistent, unmistakable campaign voice.

The campaign used stark, single-word headlines of Warning. Disaster. Failure. Regret. Trouble. This paired with strong visual metaphors and dictionary-style definitions was designed to stop readers cold. This stripped-back approach created instant tension and clarity, allowing the message to land quickly and powerfully. The repeated line “Using non-compliant steel can take on a new meaning if something goes wrong” unified the series and reinforced the seriousness of the issue across all executions.

The series delivered a bold, highly memorable presence across multiple industry channels, elevating ACRS from a certifying body to a critical authority on steel compliance. By shifting the conversation from cost-saving to consequence, the campaign strengthened awareness, reinforced professional responsibility, and clearly positioned ACRS certification as the only acceptable standard.