Purple Purse and Serena Williams Use Street Art to Make Domestic and Financial Abuse Visible
Leo Burnett Chicago has launched a new OOH campaign for Allstate Foundation Purple Purse, the insurance giant’s foundation fighting domestic violence and financial abuse.
Harnessing the growing social trend of posing in front of vibrant murals, Purple Purse and Leo Burnett are teaming up with female artists in six cities across the nation this summer to create street murals that hide messages about financial abuse within the art. The messages are evident only when you apply the Moon filter on Instagram, powerfully illustrating how financial abuse (experienced by 99% of domestic violence victims) hides in plain sight. (See how it works here.) The campaign asks: what if we shared information about financial abuse on social media the way we share these eye-catching walls?
The campaign was launched by the foundation and program ambassador Serena Williams last Thursday in New York City at Tictail Market with a mural created by artist Isabel Castillo Guijarro. Residents, visitors and tourists to New York can visit the mural through July 20th. Five additional murals will be launched throughout the summer and run through October, National Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
"Domestic violence will affect 1 in 4 women in her lifetime. Yet even in a time when people seem to openly discuss most aspects of their lives -- especially on social media -- it's something that remains largely hidden," said Vicky Dinges, Allstate's senior vice president of corporate relations. "Surprisingly, our research shows the stigma around domestic violence has increased over the past few years. By tapping into the growing popularity of free street art and turning it into a vehicle for social good, we hope these murals will bring financial abuse and domestic violence out of the shadows, and inspire a new network of allies for domestic violence survivors."
The new research, released to coincide with Financial Literacy Month in April, found that 1 in 3 Americans think domestic violence is a taboo topic, a 10-point increase since 2014. The study also revealed that nearly half of Americans are not familiar with financial abuse as a form of domestic violence, when in fact it's one of the top reasons victims can't "just leave." Financial abuse tactics include preventing victims from working or keeping them from accessing bank accounts, credit cards or cash.
To advance education on this important issue and give a voice to survivors, Purple Purse is tapping into the increasingly popular art form of street murals. A hidden message about financial abuse is part of each mural and becomes fully visible when visitors use Instagram's Moon filter. Once the message is revealed, Purple Purse encourages visitors to share their photos on social media using the hashtag #SafeWayOut sm. In doing so, they will join Purple Purse and Williams in their efforts to help put an end to the domestic violence epidemic, once and for all.
"With social media, everyone has an opportunity to tell a story and make an impact," Williams said. "I am proud to use my voice and influence to bring more awareness to financial abuse so people can get involved and make positive change in their communities. As the public becomes more comfortable talking about domestic violence and financial abuse, it will also become easier to spot the signs, help a victim or stand up to an abuser."
The New York mural will be available for public viewing through the week of July 16. In the weeks ahead, five additional Purple Purse street art murals will be unveiled across the country and will stay up through October, National Domestic Violence Awareness Month:
- Houston, The Heights, (week of June 25) created by Ana Marietta
- New Orleans, Oak Street, (week of July 16) created by Milagros Collective
- Chicago, Wicker Park, (week of July 23) created by Lauren Asta
- Seattle, (week of Aug. 6) created by Ellen Picken
- Los Angeles, (week of Aug. 13) created by Carolyn Suzuki
Whether you live in these cities or are visiting, be sure to add the limited-run murals to your "must-see" list. Go to PurplePurse.com to:
- Find the nearest mural, so you can visit, take a photo and join Purple Purse in sharing this important message;
- Explore and share the story behind the project through eye-catching photos and video content documenting how the project was born and how street artists are lending their craft to help this cause;
- Learn the signs of domestic violence and financial abuse and how to start a conversation with a potential victim;
- Make a donation to help give victims a #SafeWayOut sm.
Since 2005, Allstate Foundation Purple Purse has empowered more than 1.3 million survivors on the road to safety and security through its educational resources, including The Allstate Foundation's Purple Purse Moving Ahead curriculum. The curriculum equips victims with the necessary knowledge to empower themselves financially and recover from financial abuse. To date, The Allstate Foundation has invested more than $60 million to help educate the public about financial abuse and provide critical survivor services, including financial education, asset-building, and job-training and -readiness programs.
If you or someone you know is in a domestic violence situation in the US, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or TTY 1-800-787-3224.
