Hidden anti-abuse campaign
Will the message encourage response?
A new anti-child abuse
campaign has incorporated a concealed messaged through cleverly using
lenticular. This technique allows the poster to be seen in two different
angles, a lower view for children under 1.3 metres and a different message for
the adults.
This “secret” message to
children reads, “If somebody hurts you, phone us and we’ll help”. Encouraging
children to pick up the phone and respond if they are being beaten. Yet the message to those taller reads “Sometimes child abuse is only visible to the child
suffering it”

The large images used on
the billboards are hard hitting and effectively communicate the message to both
parent and child. Showing an unhappy child to the adult, and a beaten up child
to the children. This billboard display can be seen as an affective piece of
PR. As it is direct and persuades both parent and child to become aware of the
situation they are involved in.
However is the widespread
PR around the campaign seen as a negative?
As the billboard has had various press coverage in the news, for
instance BBC and daily mail. It does bring up the topic of child abuse and
enables people to come forward as there is an increase in PR around the problem
of child abuse.
Yet with this coverage
could it make the adults/abusers deter the child from ringing the helpline? Or
distract the child from looking at the sign? It could be questioned that too
much coverage isn’t always a good thing.