Valentine’s Day is a celebration of love, but not all love is safe and some love is deadly. MullenLowe UK and domestic and sexual abuse charity, NO MORE, have launched a serious of Valentine’s Day cards with a wake-up call for those in an abusive relationship.
The campaign, Language of Love, points out coercive behaviour and offers help to people experiencing domestic abuse or stalking. Its series of gift cards features messages such as ‘I love you to death’ and ‘You’re mine’. At first glance the designs seem innocent, but each can hold a frightening message for someone in an abusive relationship.
The designs are being posted on NO MORE’s social media platforms, with a selection of the creative also featuring in powerful OOH posters in the lead up to Valentine’s Day.
The cards are accompanied by a short film, in which 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, stated, “While Valentine’s Day is often filled with grand romantic gestures, for people in unhealthy relationships, love can be laced with control, threats, and fear.” Pamela continues “Through this ‘Language of Love’ campaign, we hope to increase awareness of coercive control and encourage those affected to seek support.”
Nicky Bullard, chief creative officer at MullenLowe UK, added, “Verbal 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 ‘love language’ is everywhere, we wanted to highlight what coercive language looks like, and help as many people recognise it as we can.”
Credits:
Client: NO MORE
Creative Agency: Mullenlowe UK
Chief Creative Officer: Nicky Bullard
Creative Directors: Loren Cook & Bronwyn Sweeny
Art Directors: Luke Gray & Ed Tuddenham
Copywriter: Martin Lindley
Head of Production: Trudy Waldron
Account Director: Bryony Forbes
Digital Director: Laura Nunn
Head of Design: Ben Edwards
Designers: Holly Powell, Katrina Sawyer, Hannah Neville, Holly Laidler, Hannah Tsuiji & Tom Hamilton
Motion Designer: Chris Davey
Editing: Mullenlowe UK
Editor: Cameron McColl
