Assaulted Women's Helpline begins campaign
By Rob Bale
The Assaulted Women's Helpline has begun a campaign called “Inescapable House” intended to raise awareness of domestic violence in Ontario. Developed by G&G Advertising of Toronto, the campaign includes a video depicting visitors to an inescapable house. The visitors, who thought they were visiting a real estate open house, found that they were unable to leave due to an absence of windows, stairs or doors. The advertising is intended to illustrate the difficulty of escaping an abusive situation as well as the feeling of being trapped. The video is part of a larger overall campaign that is running in Ontario. Media work is being handled by Push.
“The question of ‘why doesn't she just leave’ is quite common,” said Alanna Nathanson, co-CEO and chief creative officer at G&G Advertising. “Having a real grasp on what these women experience is difficult for anyone who hasn't been through it themselves. We created the ‘Inescapable House’ to evoke a sense of empathy by bringing that feeling of being trapped to life.”