Women’s Aid Campaign Shows Hidden Messages on @8OutdoorMedia
Imagine always being told that your dress is inappropriate, or that you can’t see your friends unless your partner is with you. Imagine someone close to you taking control of your bank account, your mobile phone, the food you eat and the exercise you take. These are all patterns of controlling behaviours that can form part of a pattern that builds up to coercive control – where your sense of self is slowly stripped away.
As we approach the first anniversary of the legislation that criminalised coercive control, Women’s Aid wanted to once again raise awareness and understanding that, even if one’s partner hasn’t raised their fists, it’s still a crime.
Polly Neate, Chief Executive of Women’s Aid, was quoted as saying “Coercive control is the heart of domestic abuse. Physical violence often comes at a later point in an abusive relationship; what comes first is the systematic destruction of a survivor’s self-esteem and autonomy, piece by piece. Women’s Aid campaigned to have coercive control recognised in law, and we are thrilled to have the support of 8 Outdoor and WCRS in communicating what coercive control is to the world in such a cutting-edge way. If we do not understand the nature of domestic abuse, we cannot reduce or prevent it – but this powerful campaign will go a long way to helping many more people understand the reality.”
8 Outdoor, a charity partner of Women’s Aid have donated free media space to highlight this issue and at a time when studies show that there is an increase in incidences of domestic violence.
In light of the strides made to recognize coercive control as a serious offense, it’s essential to acknowledge the role of the legal system in addressing the many complexities surrounding domestic abuse cases. Laws that criminalize non-physical forms of control serve as a vital protective barrier for survivors, but without proper legal frameworks and resources, these protections cannot be fully realized.
For anyone affected by coercive control or other forms of abuse, securing legal help is crucial to understanding their rights and navigating the intricacies of criminal law. Particularly in areas like Sydney, where legal help in Sydney can offer tailored guidance, survivors need to know there are resources to aid them in finding justice and reclaiming their autonomy. Lawyers who specialize in criminal matters can provide comprehensive support, ensuring that each aspect of the case—from evidence gathering to representation—is handled with the care and attention it deserves.
Ross Neil, ECD of WCRS said “The opportunity WCRS has always sought with Women’s Aid is to marry messaging with an element of the interactive. Whether that’s 3D cinema, binaural sound or facial recognition technology. The opportunity for interactivity on a media site that consumers speed past in seconds is therefore slightly limiting. Limiting can also be a challenge to creativity, that is why we are so proud of this piece of work. It uses the displacement illusion to deliver hidden messages to consumers depending on their distance to the media site. Super simple, super effective.”
The campaign will be running on 8 Outdoor screens, across four cities (London, Birmingham, Leeds & Edinburgh) in the UK from December 19, 2016, delivering nearly seven million impacts over the two weeks it is live. All digital out-of-home screens are roadside sites with long dwell time and viewability, so offer the perfect platform for both of the creative messages to be seen by road users as they approach.
In this creative, award winning agency WCRS are using a displacement effect – click on the picture above and you will get a better idea of how this looks, Ed, a visual technique that reveals two different headlines depending on your perspective. The aim is to highlight the fact that although coercive control might be more difficult to see than physical violence it can be just as damaging.
Cennydd Roberts, Chief Executive Officer of 8 Outdoor told us “We’re extremely proud to be working with Women’s Aid and WCRS to support such an important cause. Out of Home has been a key medium for driving awareness for commercial brands for centuries, so it’s wonderful to be able to provide a platform to deliver messaging in such a unique way, to raise awareness of issues affecting women from all walks of life in the UK”.
Full credits:
Client: Polly Neate, Teresa Parker
Agency: WCRS
Executive Creative Director: Ross Neil
Head of Art: Lance Crozier
Creatives: Matthew Kennedy & Georgia Horrocks
Agency Producer: Anna Stina Lippert-Larsen
Account Handling: Torie Wilkinson, Lucy Nebel, Katherine Morris
Planning: Stuart Williams
Agency Designers: Jacinto Caetano – Lead Designer, Craig Townsend – Designer
Director of Technology: Dino Burbidge
Anyone affected by the campaign and the issue of coercive control can go to www.womensaid.org.uk for information and support.
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