7 Years of Christmas

Client: Solace Womens Aid

There are many statistics about domestic abuse which make for harrowing reading, but one of the most shocking is the average length of time it takes women in the UK to leave an abusive relationship; seven years.

Solace Women’s Aid helps women to escape abusive relationships and their aim was simple; make people aware of the 7-year statistic and encourage donations towards their Christmas campaign, thereby allowing them to help more women leave sooner. We conceived the idea of taking The 12 Days of Christmas and turning it into The 7 Years of Christmas, making a film which highlighted the long-term hell of living with an abuser. We used animation to allow us to move seamlessly through time and create an atmosphere which started off festive and gradually became frightening. Given this was a campaign built around a song we needed a singer who could resonate with women who had suffered at the hands of their partners. So, we collaborated with Self Esteem, a Brit nominated breakthrough artist, who is equally well known as a singer and a passionate advocate of women’s rights. Our film grabbed people’s attention, created engagement on social media and crucially lead to donations, with Solace surpassing their fundraising target by almost 34% during the most economically challenging Christmas in living memory. These funds will allow more women to be rehoused, some with families, in accommodation that provides a safe environment, and access to services, so they can rebuild their lives, free from domestic abuse.