PhoneWatch, Ireland’s leading provider of monitored home security systems, has launched the next iteration in its marketing campaign that dramatizes the effectiveness of its products from the burglar’s perspective.
The campaign was created by Boys+Girls. The previous execution, ‘Burglar Bootcamp’, earned a Bronze Effie Award in 2025 and was responsible for driving ignificant sales growth.
Statistics show households with PhoneWatch alarms are four times less likely to experience a break-in. The latest campaign continues to build on the brand position “The alarm burglars fear”.
According to Pat Stephenson, chief relationship officer of Boys + Girls, explains: “We wanted to build on the success of the core idea behind Burglar Bootcamp, that Phonewatch is the alarm Burglars fear by showcasing the long term effects of that fear – the necessary therapy that a Burglar might need to cope.”
In this new execution, the campaign revisits the character of Trevor, an expert burglar now dealing with the emotional fallout of PhoneWatch’s growing market presence.
“In ‘PhoneWatch Phobia,’ we wanted to take a more sympathetic view of Trevor and show that even burglars need to attend therapy sometimes” says Jake O’Driscoll, Creative Director at Boys + Girls. “This more intimate execution allowed us to go deeper with the character while bringing in the range of features that PhoneWatch offers.”
Boys + Girls reunited with BAFTA-winning director Chris Cottam, to direct both the 40-second main film and a suite of 15-second product-centered content. Stills photography was shot by Harry Rhys Thomas.
Marguerite Cotter, PhoneWatch’s Marketing Director, expressed her enthusiasm for the campaign direction: “Following the success of ‘Burglar Bootcamp,’ we were eager to bring back Trevor, the lovable villain, and see where Boys + Girls would take her story next.”
