Surf Life Saving Australia (SLSA) has unveiled a new national safety campaign, 'Stop. Look. Stay Alive.', aimed at equipping more Australians with the necessary skills to stay safe at the beach.

The campaign, featuring Australian actor and filmmaker Angus Sampson, a former nipper and surf lifesaver and centred around a longform and shorter form video creative, is particularly targeting men, who accounted for 86% of all drownings along Australia’s coastline last year.

In 2021, 150 people drowned along Australia’s coastline, all outside of patrolled areas. This alarming statistic underscores the importance of the campaign, which will be promoted through television, online, print, and outdoor advertising.

SLSA has also announced a four-year partnership with Qantas, aligning two brands with intrinsic links to Aussie culture and a shared commitment to safety. Qantas is offering 150 Qantas Points to everyone who completes the Beach Passport course before 30 April 2025, and the chance to win 1 million Qantas points. As part of the campaign, SLSA and Qantas have teamed up on the launch of a new virtual training platform, 'Beach Passport.' This free mobile or online course provides basic water safety knowledge and is available to all Australian citizens and visitors.

The campaign was created by Banter, with Brett Morgan, Senior Manager, Marketing and Brand at SLSA, and Paul Den, Co-Founder of Banter, leading the project.

Brett Morgan, Senior Manager, Marketing and Brand, Surf Life Saving Australia, said, “This campaign is a true career highlight. It’s not often that the stars align to bring together great talent, creative and production all wrapped around a very important community safety message, aimed at saving lives. Combined with the Beach Passport virtual course and our partnership with Qantas, we think this campaign will have real-impact on our beaches this summer”.

Paul Den, Co-Founder of Banter, added, “With over 50,000 km of coastline, sadly, too many people still drown each year. Surf Life Savers can’t be everywhere. It’s time for our country to band together and support our Surf Lifesavers. It’s been an absolute pleasure working with Brett and the team to create a concept that truly encourages people to stop, look, and stay alive. If you had told me nine years ago, when we started Banter, that we’d have Angus Sampson delivering a monologue in a tuxedo jacket and boardies, I wouldn’t have believed it. This truly is a dream campaign to work on!”