Adult Survivors of Child Abuse

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13 February, 2009

by Serge

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A sensitive subject calls for sensitive advertising. Not.

The image of a child weeping in the corner is a thing of the past. Gone are the chain emails about the little girl’s abusive alcoholic father where you must “help Jenny by passing this on to 20 of your friends. If you don’t by 12 midnight tonight, her father will come home and have his way.” I really didn’t want to annoy 20 of my friends, but I didn’t want to be liable for this abuse.

It appears agency Whybin/TBWA also received my emails and so they decided to fight child abuse differently- creep us out.

Often when I’m distressed or nervous I make a terrible joke. Its offers only a nostril laugh and an uncomfortable stench. I somewhat feel the same awkwardness leaking from this campaign.

I appreciate the alternate approach, particularly as in the same month, the Sydney Children’s Hospital went the other depressing way. However I have a few issues with the campaign.

Firstly, I took me a while to understand the relationship between the dark humor and the the copy. After some time I saw it- when you get over something sad, you say “finally we can joke about it.” As one never gets over child abuse, it won’t ever be a laughing matter.

Also I have issues with each ad. The gift card’s artwork could have been better to make ‘abusers’ more recognizable. I don’t like the father and son cutout, as without viewing the others it fails to communicate. And the man ironing jeans is weird.

I find this campaign dark, but not dark enough. I think? I don’s actually know why i don’t love it. It’s just a little awkward. But not good awkward. Or exceedingly awkward like anti-jokes -now they go well beyond nostril laugh.

Advertising Agency: Whybin\TBWA, Sydney, Australia
Executive Creative Director: Garry Horner
Creative Director: Matt Kemsley
Copywriter: Steve Dodds
Art Director: Dave Lidster
Illustrator: Ben Godfrey
Photographer: Derek Henderson
Director: Tony Sherwood
Producer: Pip Shuttleworth
Production company: tonysherwood.com
Published: February 2009