As Tone Deaf reported earlier this month, this year’s instalment of the annual Field Day festival in Sydney’s Domain saw a record number of punters arrested on drug charges. Police reportedly arrested 214 people allegedly in possession of drugs including amphetamines, cannabis, cocaine, ecstasy, LSD, and ice.
The high number of arrests, which was a significant increase on the 140 people arrested at the same event last year, sparked a renewed debate about the safety and ultimate efficacy of police sniffer dog operations, which often target dance festivals like Field Day, Stereosonic, and Future Music Festival.
However, while most were happy to debate, others are looking to capitalise. As Mashable reports, a Sydney law firm has taken a new approach to getting clients by using Facebook’s targeted advertising to get the attention of first-time drug offenders, specifically those arrested during Field Day.
Using a stock image of a person cutting cocaine, LY Lawyers are looking to entice those awaiting court dates on drug charges by writing, “Busted with possession or supply of drugs at Field Day? Call Sydney’s best drug lawyers!”. As a targeted ad, it is visible even to Facebook users who haven’t liked LY Lawyers’ Facebook page.
Image via Mashable
According to Mashable, if you’ve liked Field Day or some music-related pages on Facebook, you may see the ad pop up in your newsfeed, which, according to the firm’s principal lawyer, Adam Ly, is all part of the company’s prominent online presence and their 18-to-35-oriented marketing interests.
“Whilst a large portion of our work is serious crime from word of mouth sources, we understand that first offenders and the ‘connected generation’ spend so much time on social media,” Ly said. “Particularly the younger generation who might find themselves in trouble with the law, and not know where to go to get a good lawyer.”
“We consider ourselves a progressive law firm, who likes to think outside the square, but within the ethical boundaries,” he said. Ly also insisted that the company does not encourage drug use nor do they actively target drug users, but instead believe that everyone deserves good legal representation.
“Everybody has the right to the best legal representation at an affordable price. These people have made a big mistake (and generally don’t make it again). They deserve to be given a second chance,” said Ly.
