Two French journalists have uncovered the creators behind the “Piracy. It’s a Crime” public service announcement that’s haunted the memories of '90s kids across the globe.
If you’re like me and gained consciousness in the early 2000s, you’ll remember the public service announcement (PSA), “Piracy. It’s a Crime,” otherwise known as “You Wouldn’t Steal a Car.”
While this PSA has been dormant for just over two decades, interest in the mysterious announcement that appeared on DVDs everywhere resurfaced this year, following news that the font used to create the titles within the announcement was ironically pirated.
The PSA was released in 2004 as part of the “Piracy. It’s a Crime” campaign and equated digital piracy with snatching handbags, TVs, and even cars.
While the dramatic montage and ominous music burned into the public consciousness and became a meme goldmine, many people ignored the typography.
The creators of “Piracy. It’s a Crime” may have used a fake version of Just Van Rossum’s FF Confidential font.
“I knew my font was used for the campaign and that a pirated clone named XBand-Rough existed. I did not know that the campaign used XBand-Rough and not FF Confidential, though. So this fact is new to me, and I find it hilarious,” he told TorrentFreak.
This ironic twist of fate had catalysed a newfound interest in the PSA, and now people were desperate to know more about where the announcement came from and who had created it.
These details were shrouded in mystery until two French journalists joined forces to uncover the identity behind the director of “Piracy. It’s a Crime.”
After realizing they were on the same journey, journalists Nicolas Delage and Christophe Wilson attempted to hunt down the creators of the PSA.
Delage, the creator behind the investigative YouTube video, attempted to use facial recognition and reverse image searches to find the actors within the PSA, but that led nowhere.
However, through the reverse image search, Delage found that the ad had been created in Los Angeles, in the backlot of Paramount Studios.
This got them a little bit closer to uncovering the creators of “Piracy. It’s a Crime,” otherwise known as “You Wouldn’t Steal a Car.”
From there, they kept on digging until they made a breakthrough.
The PSA had actually been created by Warner Bros., which said it wanted to produce the piece through its separate department, “The Idea Place.”
Delage managed to speak with The Idea Place’s creative director, who said that he hadn’t realized how the PSA would become a part of the cultural zeitgeist.
“When we shot it, it just felt normal,” Ricky Mintz, creative director of The Idea Place and the creator of the PSA, told Delages.
After fiddling around with music, the style, graphics, and such, Mintz, the creators, decided to go a little edgy with it.”
Along with Mintz, Delage interviewed the PSA’s graphic designer, Scott Ellman, and editor, Terry Paul.
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