THE SELF-DEFENSE DANCE

TitleTHE SELF-DEFENSE DANCE
BrandGABRIELA
Product / Service1 BILLION RISING MOVEMENT
CategoryB04. Non-Corporate
EntrantDM9 JAYMESYFU Makati City, THE PHILIPPINES
Entrant Company DM9 JAYMESYFU Makati City, THE PHILIPPINES
Advertising Agency DM9 JAYMESYFU Makati City, THE PHILIPPINES

Credits

Name Company Position
Jem Lim Just Add Water Producer
Philip Jarilla Hit Productions Audio Editor
Ruth Colacion Straight Shooters Executive Producer
Paul Basinilio Straight Shooters Director
Jason Cahapay We Love Post Editor
Topp Suzara Loud Box Musical Arranger
Marcus Davis Loud Box Musical Arranger
Tara Lim Hit Productions Audio Editor
Clarissa Mendoza Freelance Choreographer
Nancy Crowe Freelance Choreographer
Gabbie Santiago Ddb Dm9jaymesyfu/Digit Account Director
Alec Humphries Just Add Water Producer
Ronnie Amador Ddb Dm9jaymesyfu/Digit Editor
Dee Taar Ddb Dm9jaymesyfu/Digit Art Director
Biba Cabuquit Ddb Dm9jaymesyfu/Digit Associate Creative Director/Copywriter
Eugene Demata Ddb Dm9jaymesyfu/Digit Executive Creative Director
Merlee Jayme Ddb Dm9jaymesyfu/Digit Chief Creative Officer/Copywriter

The Campaign

One Billion Rising is a global campaign that seeks to raise awareness of violence against women and girls. Last February 14th, the movement asked people across the globe to organize creative initiatives called 'risings' by dancing in support of the estimated one billion women who are victims of abuse. Initiated by activist and Vagina Monologues playwright Eve Ensler, the movement has since been joined by around 5,000 organizations worldwide. The Philippines, a country where one woman is raped every 4 hours, was among the 202 countries that joined the dance. The challenge was to add more depth and meaning to the Philippines' dance interpretation by turning this act of solidarity into an act of self-defense for women. In response, the women's group Gabriela created a Self-Defense Dance that incorporated aikido moves. Aikido is a form of martial arts that uses an attacker's force against him. As such, the dance taught women and children how to fight back. The instructional dance video was seeded online, spreading across the Gabriela network and the rest of the country. The Self-Defense Dance proved so successful it was adapted by other cities such as Hong Kong, Melbourne and San Francisco. It was also brought to 85 schools as part of the children's morning exercises. A new generation of Filipinos will grow up not as victims, but as fighters. The Self-Defense Dance generated significant media support amounting to P136.55 million (USD$3.3 million) worth of free publicity for the cause.

The Brief

Encourage Filipinos to support Gabriela's Self-Defense Dance •Propagate the Self-Defense Dance down to grassroots levels •Gain media support in spreading the message of Gabriela and One Billion Rising The target included all Filipinas of all ages, status, and sexual orientation. Research yielded these statistics: • The youngest rape victim is aged 3, the oldest 86. • From January 2000-August 2011, 14,201 were recorded cases of rape • From January 2011-August 2011, 5,989 were recorded cases of domestic violence The victims and the target market desperately needed a means to actively fight against the status quo.

Results

Gabriela's Self-Defense Dance was featured in the front pages of major dailies and in radio and television programs, garnering over USD$3.3 million in free publicity. Views on YouTube amounted to 212,741 while social media hits were up to 47,100. Over 8,000 people from different women's groups joined the dance. It was adapted by other cities including Hong Kong, Melbourne, San Francisco, and by 85 schools nationwide for the children's morning exercises. It generated high consumer awareness as shown in audience response, media attention, and the amplified results in countries and schools that adapted the dance. This allowed the key message a deeper penetration, with favorable mentions dominant in traditional and social media. The strategy of a dance performed by the audience themselves was effective in engaging them holistically and drumming into their consciousness the message of One Billion Rising and Gabriela—that women have in themselves the power to fight abuse.

Execution

- A song was composed to accompany the dance, urging women to rise and fight back against violence. - The Self-Defense Dance was created through the efforts of a choreographer and an aikido black-belter. It was publicly launched last November 30, 2012. - The Self-Defense Dance was performed heavily during Eve Ensler's one-week visit to the Philippines last December 2012. - The instructional videos were seeded online 3 weeks before the February 14 event. - For three weeks, Gabriela visitED schools, teaching the Self-Defense Dance. Simultaneously, Gabriela's international sister-groups adapted it in their cities. - On February 14, thousands gathered, performing Gabriela's dance. It was covered by major news outlets, resulting USD$3.3 million in free media mileage. Since Gabriela is a non-profit organization with no media budget, the plan was to have a campaign that was so relevant and buzz-worthy that news outlets would be interested in covering it.

The Situation

Statistics show that one in three women, or one billion, will be raped or beaten in their lifetime. This led author Eve Ensler to organize One Billion Rising—a worldwide movement to end violence against women and children through dance. In the Philippines, one woman is raped every four hours. One child is raped every 150 minutes and experiences sexual harassment every seven hours. Gabriela, the foremost women's organization in the Philippines, felt a pressing need for Filipinos to fight the rampant abuse and objectification of women and children.

The Strategy

The One Billion Rising movement encourages women to dance as a form of protest; an active, non-verbal way of self-expression to break the chain of violence. More than just participating in this worldwide event, Gabriela created a Self-Defense Dance that teaches women and children to rise above the stigma of violence and fight back. The Self-Defense Dance incorporated aikido moves that use the attacker's force against him. The dance became a weapon in battling the unending cycle of violence and marginalization against women. The dance would be propagated among its target audience through relevant media, and media support enlisted to help spread the story.