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Take Back Your Words

Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO)

Issue 3 | July 2008

Agency

Arc Worldwide Malaysia

Creative Team

Tan Kien Eng - Executive Creative Director;Theresa Tsang, Tan Kien Eng, Jandeep Mahajan - Art Directors;Valerie Chen, Tan Kien Eng - Copywriters

Production Team

June Liew - Client Services Director; Liew Kam Yong - Production Manager; Fok Soop Chin - Studio Manager; Chloe Chan - DTP Artist

Other Credits

Tan Kien Eng - Client Servicing ;David Lok, Studio DL - Senior Photographer

Date

March 2006

Background

The objective was to create public awareness of the horrors of emotional abuse - which can be just as damaging as physical abuse - and encourage Malaysians to speak up against violence by signing a petition to the government.

Idea

As the Women's Aid Organisation lacked the funds for a big campaign, Arc Worldwide needed to use innovative means to make Malaysians speak up against violence. They planned a low-budget but high-impact ground campaign that would compel the public to take a serious look at violence against women. They designed a series of life-size posters portraying women of different ages. Little removable stickers bearing typical insults and abusive statements were stuck around the women. These posters were then put up at major shopping malls during WAO roadshows, each with a message urging the public to offer support by actively taking part in an act of compassion - taking back the abusive words. How? By peeling off a sticker, signing the petition on the back, and dropping it into a WAO petition box.

Results

The campaign drew enormous curiosity from the public, which turned into strong support boasting a response rate of 58% through petitions. It also generated massive publicity for WAO and contributed to their efforts to acquire the much-needed support from the government.

Target Audience

General public

Size

15 posters and 500 stickers

Our Thoughts

The Women’s Aid Organisation of Malaysia won many awards last year for their memorable “Carbon Copy” piece and I suspect this will win plenty too. It doesn’t just dramatise the problem, it turns passers-by into campaigners.

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