We open on a woman’s face as seen in a mirror on a bathroom medicine chest. She has a cut lip and facial bruises.
She opens the mirrored door to grab a bottle of aspirin and then closes the medicine chest to reveal her reflection, which has changed. This time she’s dressed in different attire but is injured yet again, with a badly cut cheek. Again, she opens the medicine cabinet, reaches for the aspirin, closes the mirrored door to reveal a gash over her right eye. This action repeats itself again and again–she’s dressed differently each time as her mirror image reveals different facial injuries. In one mirrored reflection, we see a tear stream down her bruised and cut face.
A supered message appears which reads, “It can end. We can help.”
As an end tag identifying the sponsor, The Family Advocacy Center, comes on screen along with a phone number, we hear the squeak of the mirrored medicine cabinet door opening once more.
Aptly titled “Broken Record,” this PSA was directed by Dave Roberts of Southwest Productions, Albuquerque, New Mexico, for Esparza Advertising, Albuquerque, The Family Advocacy Center, also based in Albuquerque, provides a variety of services for victims of domestic violence–ranging from law enforcement services to free legal aid, medical assistance, and children, youth and family services.
Breaking the cycle
The concept for the PSA came out of the reality that domestic violence is rarely an isolated incident. If it happens once, chances are it will happen again and again. “Broken Record” underscores the cyclical nature of abuse by showing a scene that is stuck on repeat.
However, another cycle–this one on the media front–thankfully isn’t repetitive in the case of “Broken Record” as the TV spot and its accompanying print, outdoor, radio and web campaign will be seen locally on a fairly regular basis, thus avoiding the lack of exposure that often befalls worthwhile public service advertising.
The Family Advocacy Center earned a better fate for its message by virtue of winning the annual ADvocate competition, the prize being not only creation of a campaign but also the media resources to make sure that campaign is seen by the public at large. ADvocate is a coalition of media and advertising partners in New Mexico that each year awards a deserving public service organization or cause with creative, production and media resources, the latter valued at $1 million of ad time and space.
At press time, “Broken Record” was slated to debut on air around June 15 on New Mexico TV stations. This spot and its print, outdoor, radio and web counterparts will be part of a media run that will last for a full year. The slogan for ADvocate is most apropos: “Every cause deserves an effect.”
Adam Greenhood, VP/creative director of Esparza, noted that everyone involved donated their services to the campaign. The TV spot, he said, cost $1,000 to produce. Esparza and Southwest Productions are both member of the ADvocate coalition.
Tools for survival
As for the concept behind “Broken Record,” Greenhood said it evolved from interviews with those who have survived domestic abuse. “What we found out was that before a victim can become a survivor, that person needs to recognize that abuse is a cycle. The cycle for most domestic violence consists of the abuser injuring the victim, apologizing, the victim accepting the apology only to be injured again. This cycle goes on and on to where the victim becomes dependent and adapts to the point where they can’t see the cycle of abuse that’s happening to them.
“The premise of the spot was to help victims see themselves but from a slight distance,” continued Greenhood. “Hopefully that perspective will lead them to experience that ‘a-ha’ moment which you need to have in order to break the cycle of domestic abuse and become a survivor.”
