NATIONAL ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN
For media enquiries or to arrange an interview with an ASCA spokesperson contact Amanda McGregor, Launch Management Group, on (02) 9270 0242
E: amanda@launchgroup.com.au
N.B. These contact details are for media comment/enquiries only. All other enquiries please contact ASCA on 02 8920 3611 or admin@asca.org.au
Read about ASCA’s current human rights campaign
Click to go to the Human Rights Advocacy page
Advertising Campaign (phase 2)
The first phase of ASCA’s National Advertising Campaign, launched on Feb 9th has had Australians talking about the issues of the legacy of child abuse in an unprecedented way. Reactions have been focussed mainly on the TVC, which was one of 8 components of an integrated campaign across TV, radio, print and online media. While ASCA has at times been drawn into debates relating to the creative itself we are far more focussed on the bottom line issues regarding the lack of awareness around the needs of adult survivors in the community. The debate which has begun in the community is healthy but shows that there is still a long way to go.
We have listened carefully to the feedback we have received and as a result are now launching launched the a second phase of our campaign. On Thursday June 4th ASCA phase 2 campaign took out Silver at the inaugural Outdoor Awards. Congratulations to ASCA’s advertising agency, Whybin TBWA Tequila for creating another powerful advertisement on behalf of ASCA. The three different print/digital ads which form the second phase of ASCA’s advertising campaign are helping ASCA raise awareness around the needs of adult survivors. With its key message of ‘Some wounds don’t heal. That’s why we’re here. We can’t change their past. Together we can change their future” ASCA is reaching more survivors in need.
The caption on these ads says, “Some wounds don’t heal. That’s why we’re here to help. Two million Australians still suffer from the effects of childhood abuse. We can’t change their past; together we can change their future. Find out more or donate at asca.org.au”
This campaign has print and digital elements and now is being displayed on the home page of the ASCA website. Apart from being displayed in various print media nationally it will be displayed can be seen in a very public way in 50 in shopping centre sites nationally on digital shop panels for 2 x 2 week periods in each site.
We are most grateful to OMD and Whybin TBWA Tequila for their ongoing support and giving ASCA and adult survivors the opportunity to be heard in the broader community. We would also like to acknowledge the generosity of OOH Media for donating the Outdoor package to OMD which allows phase 2 of our campaign to be viewed around Australia.
Click here to see phase 2 of the campaign.
Advertising Campaign (phase 1)
Two months on...
In February 2009 ASCA launched a National Advertising Campaign to raise awareness around the long-term legacy of child abuse, a taboo topic, steeped in shame, stigma and a conspiracy of silence. The campaign highlighting the needs of Australian adult survivors is already causing a healthy debate in our community and an early shift in attitudes which is seeing survivors come forward and speak out for the first time. Many members of the public have come out in support of the campaign, with a large number of survivors in particular congratulating ASCA on finally putting the issue onto the agenda.
The campaign uses irony to portray the way society has traditionally treated survivors. Children who are abused live in fear of disclosure; adults are expected to be able to simply get over it. This campaign uses a confronting approach to expose the myth in our society that it is easy to get over child abuse. ASCA which has been working with survivors since 1995 understands how devastating it is to be abused, and how shockingly devastating it is to have to live with the repercussions of that abuse. As one survivor attested, some people might find the ads insensitive but it is far more insensitive to have one's pain, suffering and ongoing needs ignored by a society which prefers to pretend that everything is okay. Through the campaign survivors are finding out about ASCA for the first time and are buoyed to feel that they are not alone, that there is an organisation which exists to advance their needs.
ASCA's campaign goal has been to stimulate a debate within the Australian community so that ultimately the legacy of child abuse will be treated with acceptance and understanding as we have seen with other significant social and health issues like HIV Aids, depression and cancer. We are happy to say that the first stage of this acceptance, a community debate is already well under way. Childhood abuse has profound effects not just on individuals but on the social, health and economic wellbeing of the Australian community as well. The cost of ongoing inaction is crippling. ASCA is intent on spearheading a shift in attitudes both within the community and with government needed to see these impacts addressed.
Measuring the campaign success
Calls to our 1300 line
In the first 2 weeks of the campaign calls to our 1300 line tripled and then quadrupled and have since stabilised at double the call rate.
Membership numbers
In the first 2 weeks of the campaign the rate of new memberships to ASCA tripled and then quadrupled the rates of pre-campaign levels.
These rates of new memberships have stabilised to double pre-campaign levels with surges to triple at times of extra media coverage.
Website visits
In the first week of the campaign unique visits to our site were 4 to 5 times pre-campaign levels. They remained at triple in the second week and have stabilised to double except during periods of substantial media coverage when they are triple. Searches for 'ASCA' peaked at around 7 times the prelaunch level, and post launch have settled to about 3.5 times the prelaunch average. Similar results have been recorded for key words such as 'surviv' and its derivatives, 'abuse', the 'impact of child abuse' and adult (in combination with other key words).
Donations/funding
While we have received some donations we have not seen the number of donations we had hoped for. However our recent discussions with the Federal government have been positive and are ongoing, with a number of key submissions having been lodged.
Creating New Possibilities workshops
Our Creating New Possibilities workshops for survivors are in high demand. Our resources are stretched delivering those currently scheduled, the first 2 workshops in the set of 4. While we are delivering them around the country, the increased demand is showing us that we need to be delivering them more frequently and to rural and regional areas as well. With increased funding we will be able to increase our capacity and meet the needs of more adults surviving child abuse.
Advertising success
B&T, the leading advertising magazine, gave ASCAs TVC pick of the week when it was launched.
Click here to read the B&T article (pdf)
Bestadsontv.com picked the TV ad as one of top 6 in the world. The radio ads were similarly recognised and the print ads were also featured on their site. Entry at BestAdsOnTV.com
At the Sirens monthly radio awards in late March the radio ads picked up the best campaign, craft and individual awards. The radio ads have now gone into the Grand final shootout for best of the year.....to be announced in 3 weeks time. Click here to read the Sirens article
Sydney Morning Herald article in the Marketing section by Julian Lee at the campaign launch was also very favourable. Click here to read the SMH article and readers comments
Adnews' reviews have been largely favourable. Click here to read the AdNews article (pdf)
The following email was received from a survivor in February.
"I want to thank ASCA for tackling an issue which has for too long been swept under the rug. I believe that in highlighting the fact there is help out there for adult survivors of abuse and that they need and deserve it that it will not only improve society as a whole, but it will save lives.
I'm sure there are a lot of survivors out there who don't even realise that help is available - can you imagine the positive impact this could have when they finally find out that there are resources?
When people aren't supported as children - why would they assume that there would be support for them as adults?
This campaign will give people 'permission' to access the kind of help they need in order to 'function' as part of society as best as possible.
The government need to realise that if they don't support this cause then a lot of these people will continue to commit crimes & fill our prisons and juvenile facilities, practice self harm, develop mental & physical illnesses, commit suicide and add to our homeless count which all costs billions of dollars each year.
This ad campaign is long overdue and it should be all over our newspapers and television screens as soon as possible.
If people are 'put off' or 'offended' by these ads then they should try and think about how off putting & offensive it is to be abused and then left out in the cold to deal with the trauma alone.
Life can be hard enough without having to deal with something so constant & consuming every day of your life.
It is impossible to pin point every case of child abuse as it occurs therefore it is unrealistic and naive to presume that the problems these children will have later on in life will not exist.
ASCA needs and deserves government support and it's amazing that they are able to do everything that they do without it - now it's time for the government to step up just like they would any other cause and I can't think of any cause more worthy. If I had the opportunity to address the Government about this I would ask 'what's the delay'? 'If a Diabetes organisation, Disability organisation or other was needing funding and it wasn't received there would be questions raised & action taken'.
Congratulations & thank you ASCA for walking where many have feared to tread for way too long."
Should you wish to provide any feedback about the ASCA campaign please email webmaster@asca.org.au. If you wish to talk with one of our counsellors about the campaign of for any other reason please do call our 1300 line on 1300 657 380. While we endeavour to have this line answered as promptly as possible limited resources means that sometimes your call will go to an answering machine. Should the line not be answered when you call, please do leave a message and we will return your call as soon as possible.
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