You'll want to wipe that smile off his face.
Lowe Campbell Ewald's chilling new public-service campaign for Haven, a Michigan nonprofit that assists victims of rape and domestic violence, strips away the "Mr. Nice Guy" veneer to reveal the threat lurking behind the disarming grins and sweet talk that abusers use to confuse and control their victims.
"I'll be really nice," begins a happy-faced dude in the spot, below directed by Oscar winner Angus Wall. But he turns out to be anything but. His mood swing is understated and utterly convincing, especially in the Ray Rice era, when heroes can be revealed as villains in the few seconds it takes for a surveillance camera to capture their shameful acts.
"This highly emotional approach will resonate with our audience," says agency creative chief Mark Simon. "Our hope is that it reaches those who are suffering and provides them with the knowledge that help is out there."
The tagline is "Live without fear," yet for a campaign all about escaping terror, there's plenty of it here. Still, the message—across all media—is powerful. One print ad entwines the phrase "I'm crazy about you" with "You crazy bitch," while a bus-shelter poster (perhaps the campaign's best execution) features the headline "I Love You"—which, upon closer inspection, is actually composed of hundreds of tiny threats like "You're gonna pay for this" and "If I can't have you, nobody can."
By focusing on the mind-set of perps, Haven puts the blame in the only place it belongs. "It is the choice and actions of the abuser that causes abuse," says Beth Morrison, the organization's CEO. "The victim is never at fault."
CREDITS
Client: Haven
Agency: Lowe Campbell Ewald
Chief Creative Officer: Mark Simon
Group Creative Director: David Bierman
Art Director: Kelly Warkentien
Copywriter: Nancy Wellinger
Producers: Mary Ellen Krawczyk
Account Executives: Joe Gaulzetti, Nicole Reincke, Alyssa DeYonker
Production Company: Elastic
Director: Angus Wall
Director of Photography: Eric Treml
Executive Producer: Jennifer Sofio Hall
Line Producer: Shanah Blevins
Editing House: Rock Paper Scissors
Editor: David Brodie
Audio Mix: Lime