Y&R Chicago's new PSA for the National Domestic Violence Hotline encourages victims of domestic violence to reach out and get the help they need. In what looks at first like an ad for a cell phone, the spot features a handheld device, with an unseen person flipping through a series of photos. What starts as the story of a man and woman meeting and then starting a happy courtship – hanging out at the beach, kissing and cuddling -- turns dark, as the images begin to show the woman become increasingly withdrawn, and then, ultimately, bruised and crying.
To ensure this concept resonated with both victims and the general public, Y&R conducted significant testing. One viewer responded “It's common to see people post pictures of only the best parts of their life - the happy parts. If you could really expand the photo album and see all of the negative photos - the abuse… you'd be surprised.” This comment speaks volumes about our socially savvy society, where carefully edited snippets are often presented as opposed to realities.
The Hotline and the NFL have been working together and the NFL has pledged $25 million to the organization. With this donation, The Hotline has been able to hire many more advocates – and are now more prepared to accept the additional call volume that exposure to the NFL’s national football-viewing audience will bring when the ad began running on the NFL Network and nfl.com on October 15.