Tuesday 13 January, 2012 Media Release

Campaign shows love isn’t always what it seems

Those searching for Valentines Day cards today and tomorrow may be in for a shock. Placed among the cards are some with a less than idyllic message inside.

The cards, which have a traditional Valentines Day exterior containing a darker message inside, are part of a campaign designed by ad agency Saatchi & Saatchi to remind New Zealanders that for some women, love has a very different outcome.

The campaign aims to bring domestic abuse into the open and encourages New Zealanders to take a second glance if they suspect something isn’t right in a relationship.

Women’s Refuge reported some regions experienced a near 100 percent rise in the numbers of women seeking help over the Christmas period for violent abuse with a twelve per cent increase last year in the numbers of women and children using their safe houses.

“We designed the campaign to encourage conversations and help those suffering make a change,” says Livia Esterhazy General Manager at Saatchi & Saatchi Wellington.

The campaign sees the subversive Valentine’s Day cards placed in retailers around Auckland and Wellington, with readers urged to text 2026 to make a $5 text donation.

Animated Valentine’s e-cards can also be viewed on the Women’s Refuge website (www.womensrefuge.org.nz) and via web banners.

Viewers are encouraged to donate and to share the cards via Facebook and Twitter. The campaign is supported by a radio ad with a twisted Valentine’s Day message of love.

“We love Valentines like the rest of the world, but think this is an issue that needs to be unwrapped,” says Women’s Refuge CEO Heather Henare.

“Women’s Refuge supports good love. We do not support gestures of love that hide abuse and violence. A great relationship is when a woman feels safe, respected and heard, she says.

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