Domestic Abuse is Getting Smarter

Refuge is marking 50 years of fighting domestic abuse in a new campaign created by BBH, which highlights the insidious ways technology is being used by abusers to monitor and control their partners, and how this makes the charity’s job more complex than ever. At the heart of the campaign is a 40-second film which, at first glance, appears to be promoting a new smartphone. But as the camera lingers on its elegant design and a voiceover details its features, things take a sinister turn. Maps in real time, we are told, can “keep you up to date with traffic in your area… and her movements”, while smart home features can be used to adjust the heating and lights “even when you’re not at home, so you can control her from wherever you are”. It ends by reminding us that as domestic abuse gets smarter, the job of Refuge gets harder, along with details of how to make a donation. Integrated advertisement created by BBH, United Kingdom for Refuge, within the category: Public Interest, NGO.