Integrated communications agency MullenLowe UK has partnered with NO MORE the charity dedicated to combatting domestic and sexual violence, to launch its latest campaign - 'Language of Love.'
While Valentine鈥檚 Day is typically full of roses, chocolates and teddy bears, some relationships aren鈥檛 as sweet as they seem. 'Language of Love' aims to shine a light on coercive behaviour and offer help to people experiencing domestic abuse or stalking.
The campaign is centred around a series of gift cards featuring messages such as 鈥業 love you to death鈥 and 鈥榊ou鈥檙e mine鈥. At first glance the designs seem innocent, but each can hold a scary message for someone in an abusive relationship.
The designs are being rolled out via NO MORE鈥檚 social media platforms from today, with a selection of the creative also featuring in powerful OOH posters in the lead up to Valentine鈥檚 Day.
The cards are accompanied by a short film, where a voice note from a man to his partner reveals increasingly possessive and controlling behaviour, culminating in a focus on the card itself saying 'You belong to me.'
Pamela Zaballa, global CEO of NO MORE said, 鈥淲hile Valentine鈥檚 Day is often filled with grand romantic gestures, for people in unhealthy relationships, love can be laced with control, threats, and fear.鈥 Pamela continues 鈥淭hrough this 鈥楲anguage of Love鈥 campaign, we hope to increase awareness of coercive control and encourage those affected to seek support."
Nicky Bullard, chief creative officer at MullenLowe said, 鈥淰erbal abuse is very often a precursor to physical abuse. But verbal abuse comes in many forms - including coercive language. On the one day of the year when 鈥榣ove language鈥 is everywhere, we wanted to highlight what coercive language looks like, and help as many people recognise it as we can.鈥