Brief Explanation

Due to our society’s conservative views of domestic abuse as a private household matter, and that victims find it hard to accept that their loved one is abusing them, most victims in the early stages of abuse tend to be in a state of uncertainty, or even denial. Hence, most victims in the early stages of abuse tend to be uncertain or even in denial about the abuse. WAO’s objectives were to raise awareness regarding the early stages of abuse (especially among victims themselves), and increase the number of conversations between victims and WAO’s counselors.

The Brief

The brief from Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO) Malaysia was to stop domestic abuse in its tracks before it snowballs. This is due to the fact that most cases of domestic abuse only come to light after the victim has already been severely abused.

How the final design was conceived

The final artwork had to bring our strategy to life – externalize and share the very thoughts that kept victims trapped in abuse, in order for them to see the abuse for themselves. With this in mind, 30 dresses, shirts and blouses were chosen to feature real excuses from survivors. The slightly transparent white fabric looked haunting , while the different types of clothing were a subtle reminder that abuse could happen to anybody. Red thread coupled with the chaotic typography treatment emphasized the pain felt by victims.

Indication of how successful the outcome was in the market

The exhibition was so successful that it was held at over 7 locations nationwide. In terms of overall awareness, our campaign gained over 3 million social media impressions and an estimated total of RM1.2 million in earned media value, on a budget of RM10,000 – resulting in 120 times return on investment. TINA, our live text helpline resulted in over 1,700 texts in a month with over 100 women who otherwise might never have sought help – an increase of 139% from the average number of women calling the existing helpline.