New Where Do You Draw the Line? Ads Launch Ahead of Christmas Office Party Season

timeTo has launched four new executions for its 'Where Do You Draw The Line?' campaign to mark the Christmas office party season. The ads, which will run on social media channels and on digital assets across the UK advertising industry, come as the number of companies supporting the initiative rises to 165, an addition of 50 companies since the launch of timeTo’s first advertising campaign on October 31st. Businesses signing up to endorse timeTo include Spotify, Nexus Studios, Oath and FCB Inferno. A full list of endorsing companies is on the official timeTo website.

The creative executions, developed by Lucky Generals, are in response to the findings of the timeTo research earlier this year which showed in sharp relief the potential for the Christmas office party season to also lead to an increase in incidents of sexual harassment. The new ads continue to reflect on real life experiences of people working in the UK advertising and marketing industries to encourage people to think about where the line exists between normal conversation and interaction, and something potentially more sinister.

Karen Fraser, director, Credos, said: “Over 3,600 people responded to the timeTo study and of those who gave details about their experiences of sexual harassment, 20% mentioned alcohol and 18% work parties or events, while others detailed experiences with colleagues in cabs. The three risk areas - alcohol, parties and taxis - in which sexual harassment is most likely to happen, are also an integral part of the festive season. These new ads are a timely reminder of the importance of reading and understanding the timeTo Code of Conduct which has been developed to help everybody enjoy the festive celebrations without fear of sexual harassment.”

The multi-platform advertising campaign, with creative developed by Lucky Generals, continues to run across a range of media including print, out of home, social media, a range of advertising and marketing websites, cinema and via ECRM.

It also continues to receive unprecedented support from across the media industry. Leaders from publishers and event organisers including Advertising Week Europe, Campaign, Digiday, The Drum, Little Black Book, Marketing Week and Mediatel Newsline have come together to support timeTo.

timeTo, a collaboration between the Advertising Association, NABS and WACL, and backed by ISBA and the IPA, is aiming to address the problem of sexual harassment in the UK advertising and marketing industry.

The Christmas versions of the advertising campaign are the next stages of a programme that has now gained the industry-wide support of 165 businesses and organisations. The initiative is determined to unite the entire UK industry in a bid to stamp out sexual harassment by establishing acceptable standards of behaviour and offering guidance to colleagues. Any company wishing to support timeTo should sign-up via the timeTo website.

The campaign builds on the global #MeToo and #TimesUp movements with a recognition that all parts of the advertising industry are affected – all sexualities and genders, agencies, marketers and media-owners. It hopes to prove that, by taking action together, the industry will be better placed to make positive change to end sexual harassment.