Official reports of verbal aggression against public transport staff used as basis for rap song.

Rappers frequently pepper their songs with obscenities. But the torrents of abuse in “Respect”, the new song by the rapper Youssef Swatt’s, are not poetry. In fact, they are taken literally from official reports and are examples of the genuine insults hurled daily at the staff of the Brussels transport company, STIB-MIVB. The transport company aims to address the problem with this new campaign. 

“Son of a bitch”, “Asshole”, “Shut your face, you little slut”, “You piss me off, you’re a piece of shit”, … 

The words come as a shock, but they’re nothing in comparison to what STIB-MIVB staff have to put up with every day. Last year, no fewer than 657 official reports of verbal attacks by passenger on the transport company’s staff were filed. On top of this, there were 113 recorded cases of physical aggression. The real figures are actually far higher, since many cases go unreported. Insults and abuse happen every day… and the mental toll on staff is high.

With this single by the young rapper Youssef Swatt’s, STIB-MIVB, together with creative agencies mortierbrigade and Digizik, are calling upon travellers to show more respect for the people who make Brussels move. Swatt’s, whose father is actually a bus driver, didn’t hesitate a moment to lend his voice to this unique project. All the staff in the video also have their own reasons for taking part. Alongside the video itself, the campaign will feature real testimonials by STIB-MIVB staff.

The campaign has been deliberately censored on the radio, in print and on social media. Unfortunately, this is not possible in the daily lives of STIB-MIVB staff, who have to put up with the uncensored insults non stop. Please check out the video below.

CREDITS

Client: STIB/MIVB
Client contacts: Melisa De Wilde, Béatrice Paques, Lionel Lammens, Barbara Foucart, An Van Hamme

Agency: mortierbrigade
CEO: Jens Mortier
Executive Creative Director: Joost Berends Brand Design Director: Philippe De Ceuster

Campaign Creatives: Morgane Choppinet & Toon Vanpoucke FR copywriter: Nicolas Mouquet
Strategy: Maaike De Wae, Chenling Zhang
Social Media Creative: Louis Vielle

Account Director: Amandine Clio & Margaux Mariens Account Executive: Evy De Koninck

Cross Media Designer/DTP: Vito Latorrata

Artist Agency: Digizik
Account Manager: Charlotte Verschelde Artist: Youssef Swatt’s
Music Producer: Antoine Jorissen

Production Company: mortierbrigade Director: Louis Vielle
Head of production: Charlotte Coddens Line Producer: Evy De Koninck

DOP: Charlie Severe
Steadicam Operator: Charly Vandendrick Camera assistant: Jules Koeklin
Best Boy: Thomas Borde
Gaffer: Hugo Corson
Editor: Jelle Stroo
Grading: Sat Gevorkian
Sound studio: Sonhouse
Casting: Xtraz & mortierbrigade

Source: mortierbrigade

  Jens Mortier, Joost Berends, mortierbrigade, STIB/MIVB