The Christmas window at the Untitled & Co store, 438 Queen Street West, in the Fashion District area of Toronto, is not a display of holiday cheer.
It’s part of FCB Toronto’s campaign for OAITH (The Ontario Association of Interval & Transition Houses) and Yellow Brick House to highlight the increase of domestic violence during the holidays.
Domestic violence against women surges during the holiday season, sometimes by as much as 30%. 1 in 4 women are victims of domestic violence during their lives.
More than 362,000 children witness or experience family violence annually in Canada, according to a study by UNICEF. In a 2013 study of family violence in Canada, it was reported that nearly 8 in 10 victims of intimate partner violence are female. And, according to Yellow Brick House, during the holidays, transitional shelters average a 30% increase in calls for support.
The Window Project’s aim is to raise awareness and generate funds for women and families impacted in Canada. The window, that highlights what some families will face during the holiday season, was viewed by Canadian shoppers from December 6 to 13.
Viewers were asked to stop the violence by making an SMS donation to OAITH. Each donation stopped the abuse in the window display for 60 seconds.
And all of this was documented in FCB’s campaign film.
Charlene Catchpole, chair of the OAITH board of directors, noted, “The holidays can be a confusing time for women in abusive relationships, especially when there are children involved. Many women put on a good face and project an image of stability to keep the holidays a happy time. Our hope is that this campaign will break the lingering culture of silence that exists around violence against women.”
“This effort gives every person the opportunity to personally witness the power one donation can make,” added FCB Toronto chief creative officer, Jon Flannery. “While this is only one initiative in the fight against domestic abuse, this effort makes every person a part of the solution.”
The display was launched on December 6 to coincide with National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence against Women in Canada. This was established in 1991 by the Parliament of Canada to mark the anniversary of the 1989 murders of 14 young women at the École Polytechnique in Montréal – the Montreal Massacre. The Window Project display remembered these women with 14 roses in the window.
The Window Project credits:
Creative Agency: FCB Toronto
CEO: Tyler Turnbull
Chief Creative Officer: Jon Flannery
VP Creative Director: Jeff Hilts
VP Creative Director: Nancy Crimi-Lamanna
Art Director: Jeff Hilts
Writer: Nancy Crimi-Lamanna
Art Director: Naeem Walji
Group Account Director: Anabella Mandel
Project Manager: Lindsay Hann
VP, Digital: Corey Messom
Head, Broadcast Production: Tony De Sousa
Producer: Rea Kelly
DOP: Jorge Vasconez
Location Scout: John Dranski
VP Director of Strategic Planning: Heather Segal
Digital Strategist: Emma Cunningham
Account Planner: Spencer MacEachern
VP Corporate Communications Manager: Stephanie Sipe
Editorial: School Editing
Partner, Executive Producer: Sarah Brooks
Editor: Lauren Horn
Executive Producer: Emily Torontow
Assistant Editor: David Larocque
Co-Founder/President: Ben Unsworth
Lead Business Development: Mike Phillips
Ontario Association of Interval & Transition Houses
Marlene Ham- Provincial Coordinator
Charlene Catchpole- Chair, Board of Directors
Yellow Brick House
Lorris Herenda- Executive Director
Blue Square
David McGuire- Principal
Globalcore Interactive Technologies
Ben Unsworth- President
Mike Phillips Business Development
UNTITLED & CO
Cameron Wilson – Creative Director/ Co-Owner
Chloe Sam-Mcgrath – Design Director/ Co-Owner
