“She’s asking for it dressed like that.” People still think like this. Victim blaming is a major obstacle to stopping discrimination and violence against women.

FCB Brasil has helped Brazilian newspaper, O Estadao de Sao Paulo, to draw attention to the problem of victim blaming against women in the country by placing messages on fashion show models that only showed up with flash photography.

The project, Invisible Sexism, was carried out during Sao Paulo Fashion Week. The newspaper painted empowering slogans on models’ bodies for the fashion show of stylist, Amir Slama. Messages included, Cleavage is not an invitation, My skirt is not a permission, Showing skin is not teasing and I dress myself like I want to.

The special ink used ink only shows up with flash photography, not as the models walk down the catwalk, underlying the “invisible” part of the problem. People could only see the messages in flash photos they took or saw.

“With this project, we shed light on a subject that must be seen. Invisible sexism must be seen, so that it can be discussed with the seriousness it deserves,” stated Joanna Monteiro, chief creative officer of FCB Brasil.

“The paint is not visible to the naked eye, just as prejudice and violence against women are not always evident.”

Credits:

Agency: FCB Brazil

Chief Creative Officer: Joanna Monteiro

Executive Creative Director: Fabio Simões

Creative Director: Romero Cavalcanti

Art Directors: Henrique Ferreira & Victor Yves

Copywriter: Mario Morais

Project managers: Marcio Bueno & Suelen Mariano

Account management: Cris Pereira Heal, Anna Sant’Anna & Henrique Silva

Planners: Marcia Neri, Bianca Reame, Rafael Goncalves, Marcio Rodrigues & Carolina Valentim

Media: Fabio Freitas, Cristina Omura & Augusto Gasperotto

Graphics Production: João Albertini, Daniele Fonseca & Camila Galdêncio

Art Buyer: Tina Castro