Following its powerful anti-violence ad last year, using the symbolism of tattoos to show how the consequences of violence have a lasting impact, charity Our Watch is back with a new millennial-themed campaign.
Our Watch is an organisation that strives to change culture and attitudes around violence. In 2010, Our Watch manages The Line, a campaign encouraging people aged 12-20 years old to develop healthy and equal relationships and reject violence.
In its latest move, the non-for-profit anti-violence group took to Australian universities for orientation week to engage with students on issues of sexual consent and respectful relationships, using a language that will speak to them – emojis.
Our Watch campaign manager, Madeleine Clifford, told AdNews: “Adults will look at the campaign and not really understand where young people are at in terms of the way they talk and their issues. One of the things we really try to do at The Line is make sure we are on the ball with young people's attitudes and their language, which is why we used emojis for the campaign.”
The campaign used by the organisation at O-Week stems from the advertising campaign 'You can't undo violence. Know where to draw the line'.
In the ad it shows a young man marked by a tattoo saying, “She pissed me off so I hit her.” The idea is that young people are concerned with their reputation, and with an indelible mark that cannot be removed, being violent will affect how others see them.
The ad reached 53 million people in the last three months of 2015. Following the success of the commercial and the disturbing findings of an Our Watch survey that found many young people lack adequate information and guidance about sex and respectful relationships.
“We found through our research that consent is a really big issue. Through a survey released on the 22 February, we found one in four boys put pressure on girls to have sex, and 60% of young people think it is up to the girl to make it really clear she doesn't want to have sex.
“We found one in four young people had victim blaming attitudes,” added Clifford.
The survey was released to coincide with the start of O-Week, surveying 604 young people aged between 12-20 in 2015 to understand young people's attitudes and behaviours.
Clifford says the campaign at O-Week was successful for the organisation, with QUT University seeing more than 500 people come through the stall over a few hours.
“When young people start university its a time in their life where they are making new paths and really taking it really seriously. So having a presence at O-Week really tapped into their interest, and helped us understand what are the key issues that effect them, like the pressure they may feel to lose their virginity.
The universities involved this year included Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga, La Trobe University in Melbourne and Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in Brisbane.
Clifford says she plans for the campaign to expand to all states and territories in the future.
“We've started talking to Universities Australia about what we can do to make sure we can get The Line and its messages into all universities and maintain its presence throughout the year.”
Next up for Our Watch is a partnership with woman's retailer Mimco, that will see the profit of three different style pouches go towards the domestic violence organisation. Former Australian of The Year Rosie Batty is set to star in the campaign.
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