New Delhi: #NoCoverUp is an initiative against domestic violence. Led by the women at MullenLowe Lintas Group, the initiative endeavours to not just create awareness about the issue but also reaches out to the victims of domestic violence reassuring them that they are not alone in this fight. The initiative is ably supported by MTV India, Saregama and Akshara Centre.
According to the official data of the National Commission for Women (NCW), complaints of domestic violence increased by more than 100% since the nationwide lockdown commenced in India. The number of domestic violence grievances received by the NCW doubled from 123 distress calls to 239 domestic violence complaints, between March 23 and April 16 – the first few weeks of the lockdown. Amongst all the data that is thrown around as a result of the ongoing pandemic, this steep rise in cases of domestic violence tends to get largely ignored.
Starting with the lockdown and its subsequent impact, the number of people being targeted in their own homes by their partners has only increased. High vulnerability and constant proximity to the abuser have led to women suffering in their situation silently, day in and day out. While few victims find the courage to come out and report the distress, most of them make excuses for the bruises and wounds inflicted on them and even try to cover them up in the best possible way. Akshara Centre – a not-for-profit women’s organisation – has been at the forefront of this movement to rally support and bring about a change in society.
The campaign lends a hand to the victims, reassuring them that they are not in this alone and encourages them to take the first step – not cover up. The movement aims to assure victims that help is available and to find the courage to come out of this gut-wrenching situation.
Highlighting the concept of the ad film, Sindhu Sharma, Executive Creative Director, Lowe Lintas said, “This campaign aims to begin a movement by encouraging victims to come out and find the courage to tell their story. To ensure the messaging gets through in an impactful manner, we backed the concept on popular social trends – one of them being the makeup brush challenge. We have also included a well-known track as the background of the film to build the story. As a package with all the combined elements, this helps land the message evocatively.”
MullenLowe Lintas Group is committed to triggering a crucial wave through meaningful conversations on the subject. Leading the charge, Garima Khandelwal (CCO, Mullen Lintas and Director of this campaign on behalf of Lintas Productions), Poonam Wahi (from Lintas Productions),Priya Balan (from Mullen Lintas) and Rosanne Rodricks (from Lintas Live) stand in solidarity towards this cause, “Despite its high incidence in our country, domestic abuse is not something that people, especially those who suffer it are comfortable discussing. It is typically something that just gets brushed under the carpet. Many a time by the victims themselves, who make excuses so as to protect the perpetrator who happens to be their partner. Through this campaign, we hope to ignite strong and impactful conversations around the issue of domestic violence. And to reassure victims that they are not alone and that they can and should fight against it, to evocatively nudge them to take the very first step that is not cover up the abuse any more.We are really pleased to see the Group’s specialist capabilities collaborate for this humanitarian cause.”
Speaking about the campaign, Navin Shenoy, Head of Marketing – Youth, Music and English Entertainment, Viacom18 said, “We are happy to support the #NoCoverUp initiative and whole-heartedly rally behind the cause of women’s safety and the fight against domestic abuse. At MTV, we believe that today’s youth is no longer an armchair activist and wants to take action for the improvement of their society. With this campaign, we aim to turn their attention towards domestic abuse and encourage them to speak up – for themselves and for others, without hesitation.”
Domestic Violence is a serious issue concerning our society and there is a need to raise awareness amongst the youth and channelize their energy towards this cause. MTV being India’s No. 1 Youth Brand has partnered with MullenLowe Lintas Group by investing its full might to highlight this problem. Besides showcasing the powerful campaign film on-air, the brand has also rolled out a thought-provoking and highly relatable social media campaign on its social pages which reach out to over 35mn followers, urging its young audience not to cover up an act, which should have never happened in the first place.
This hyperbundled campaign from MullenLowe Lintas Group was made possible by drawing the Strategy and Creative prowess of its creative agencies, Lowe Lintas and Mullen Lintas, coupled with video content production by LinProductions. Lintas Live (the group’s digital-first creative PR agency) has worked on amplification of the campaign to ensure it reaches its target audience – the victims and the bystanders.
Film URL: https://www.instagram.com/p/CInWKEBBJes/?igshid=h3xmug6du907
