Mayor Builds Domestic Violence Awareness Campaign

LOS ANGELES — Will your Valentine’s Day be a romantic celebration of a healthy, loving relationship? Or will the holiday evoke thoughts and messages of "Fear Me," "I Own You," or “You Are Nothing”?   

Those are the kind of provocative questions at the heart of “Domestic Violence Has No Place Here” — a bold public education campaign launched last fall by Mayor Eric Garcetti and intended to generate awareness and honest conversation about a frequently-hidden crime whose victims often suffer in silence.  This week, the campaign debuted new ads aimed at young people for Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month (attached), with an emphasis on social media. One in three teens is a victim of dating abuse.

“Love and abuse never go hand-in-hand. We have to keep shining a light on domestic violence, because it is a crime that lives in the shadows and causes pain that too often goes unnoticed and unreported,” said Mayor Garcetti. “‘Domestic Violence Has No Place Here’ is a thought-provoking campaign that will bring awareness to this crisis and start important conversations in Los Angeles and beyond.”

The campaign, developed in partnership with the Los Angeles Police Department, pairs romantic tropes —  from boxes of chocolates and teddy bears, to hand-scribbled love notes and personalized jewelry — with starkly contrasting messages about control and violence. The juxtaposition sends a powerful message to anyone who has been impacted by emotional or physical abuse in an intimate relationship — including victims, abusers, and witnesses.

The ads include such provocative copy as “You may now hit the bride” on a backdrop of white lace; “Roses are red, violets are blue, don’t tell a soul I hit you” on familiar lined notebook paper; and “If I Can’t Have You, No One Will” nestled amongst rose petals.  On another ad, smartphone text messaging streams go from familiar hearts and a friendly check-in to angry icons and controlling messaging demanding to know, “Where are you?”

Advertising agency Quigley-Simpson provided pro bono services to create the compelling and impactful campaign. The ads will be featured on bus benches and bus shelters in English and Spanish. Angelenos can find extensive information about domestic violence, including teen dating abuse and sexual assault, online at www.NoDVLA.org.  

About Quigley-Simpson
Established in 2002, Quigley-Simpson is an independently-owned advertising agency, providing clients with full-service creative, media and digital integrated services. Headquartered in Los Angeles and with an office in New York, the agency employs a team of 150 professionals. Quigley-Simpson’s client roster includes leading national brands including those from Procter & Gamble, JPMorgan Chase and Yelp, amongst others. Quigley-Simpson has also been the creative force behind campaigns for major entities in Los Angeles, including Southern California Edison and the Metropolitan Water District. The agency is also deeply committed to causes that Angelenos care about including power and water conservation, and has provided pro bono support to campaigns for the Los Angeles City Fire Department’s women and minorities recruitment initiative and Mayor Garcetti’s campaign to fight domestic violence.  More information can be found at www.quigleysimpson.com.