Recently, we’ve collaborated with Leicester City Council to develop an out-of-home campaign for UAVA – United Against Violence and Abuse – to be displayed around Leicester in numerous JC Decaux advertising locations.

Our campaign brief was to develop imagery that would prompt a phone call to UAVA in the event of suspecting that a friend, family member or neighbour is experiencing sexual, physical or psychological domestic abuse. Our challenge was to subvert the normal bleak and clichéd imagery associated with the subject. The council wanted a visual that was less stereotypical than you might expect from a campaign like this.

Obviously, this presented a bit of a challenge. We needed to keep in line with the strong content of the campaign whilst replicating a brighter form.  We decided the best option would be to avoid focusing on the victim or perpetrator of domestic abuse and, instead, focus on the target of the advert – the person who would potentially notice abuse and call in to report it.

Steering away from any human imagery we decided to opt for simple, frank typography, integrated into a day to day setting – cafés, the park, etc. The idea is “Noticing something wrong”, with the “O” in “Wrong” being replaced with something slightly out of place – a cracked coffee cup, a deflated football or a smashed pot plant – to suggest the hidden trauma of domestic abuse.

To back up the campaign the UAVA partners and stakeholders are running a social media campaign #callUAVA to start an online conversation. Partners include Leicestershire County Council, Rutland County Council, Victim First, Leicestershire Police, NHS Partnership Trust Safeguarding Children Team and De Montfort University. UAVA themselves have just launched Facebook and Twitter accounts www.twitter.com/uavaltd using the handle @UAVALtd and www.facebook.com/UAVALtd

This campaign was one that we were really keen to get right and the feedback so far has been excellent.

“Neither survivors or local organisations want to see depressing images; they want a message of hope.  Designs have to be simple, subtle and eye catching and that can be very difficult when talking about sexual or domestic violence. We are really pleased with the unique designs and the positive comments Arch have generated. Now we hope that it helps people who may be really struggling.”

Domestic Violence Co-ordinator Stephanie McBurney 

We know that this sort of campaign can genuinely help people in tough situations, so it was a no-brainer for us to be involved with UAVA and Leicester City Council. The campaign goes live this week and will be viewable across Leicester.

If you’re concerned that a friend, family member or neighbour might be affected by sexual or domestic violence, call UAVA today on 0808 80 200 28.