Last year’s TV spots for Calgary-based HomeFront were deemed too graphic for viewing by the Television Bureau of Canada. Now the non-profit is giving advertising a second shot with some dramatic new print ads.

Created by Calgary-based Ogilvy & Mather, the campaign uses a diamond engagement ring to deliver the message ‘domestic violence isn’t okay and you can get help,’ according to Kevin McNichol, HomeFront’s communications officer and trainer.

One instalment has two jewelry boxes positioned side by side to resemble a coffin. In a second ad, a man grasps the ring as if he has just fired a pistol. The tag is ‘relationships can be deadly.’ Set to run in a regional split-run of Time Canada during the coming months, both pieces encourage victims to contact HomeFront for help.

The non-profit, which brings together social service agencies, law enforcement and the criminal justice system to deal with cases of domestic violence, aims to raise awareness about the issue and encourage citizens to take responsibility.

‘In Calgary, domestic violence calls to the police [rank] behind only false alarms,’ says Ogilvy CD Phil Copithorne. ‘Yet in a survey conducted by Calgary police about top concerns, it ranked thirteenth. There’s an enormous gap between reality and perception.’

To delve deeper into the cause, the creatives at Ogilvy participated in several counseling sessions with abusers and victims, where they were able to feed questions through caseworkers. They discovered complacency about the cycle of domestic abuse among those personally involved, as well as a reluctance to define such actions as criminal. Another concern is that acquaintances still believe domestic abuse is ‘none of their business.’ The print ads counter this by showing that this behaviour can result in death.

For his part, HomeFront’sMcNichol is at a loss as to why the initial TV spots were banned, (check them out at www.strategymag.com/screeningroom), particularly since buys were scheduled during equally graphic shows like The Sopranos and CSI. Both ads use ‘raw and real’ language and depict abusive behaviour in public. For instance, in one a man attacks a waitress who accidentally spills his coffee. The tagline is, ‘You wouldn’t get away with it here, you shouldn’t get away with it at home.’

Client: HomeFront

Agency: Ogilvy & Mather

Creative Director: Phil Copithorne

Senior Account Supervisor: Leigh Blakely

Copywriter: Jarrod Banadyga

Art Director: Jonathan Jungwirth

Photographer: Gerard Yunker

Digital Imager: Max LaFontaine