In this :30 for the King County Sexual Assault Resource Center, the sound of silence is powerful. But ironically, that power stems from the ability of silence to poignantly convey powerlessness—in this case, a mother helplessly listening to her daughter’s story.
The spot only shows reaction shots of the mom who’s seated on a couch. At the outset we hear the off-camera daughter struggle to utter just three words: "And then, he," says the daughter as her voice drops off.
We don’t hear the daughter again. We only witness the mother as she listens to the rest of her child’s horror story. The feeling of helplessness and sense of anguish are evident on the mom’s face. A close-up of her mouth shows a quivering movement as she’s searching, struggling to form the right words, but can’t. For a moment, she looks down, seemingly avoiding eye contact with her daughter. The mother’s reactions are shown in extreme close-up—and in medium shots as she sits at the end of the couch, looking out towards her daughter who is never seen in the spot.
Finally, the mom says, "Oh honey," falling far short of what she’d like to be able to offer her daughter: comfort, encouragement, love, and the sense that somehow everything will be alright.
The scene gives way to a super across a white background: "Most people don’t know what to say. We do."
Then the words "Sexual Assault Resource Line" appear on screen, accompanied by a toll-free phone number.
Entitled "Mother," the spot is disturbing on different levels: It conveys the plight of the daughter, the struggle of the mother, and the unsettling thought that mom—the one we would come to for advice and comfort—sometimes isn’t able to deliver either. To feel the daughter’s pain through the mother’s reactions makes for a message that draws you in even though it’s difficult to watch.
Christian Loubek of bicoastal HKM Productions directed and shot this and another spot, "Boyfriend," for the King County Sexual Assault Resource Center out of Seattle-based production house, The Radisch Company. Lisa Farnham of Radisch Company served as executive producer/producer on the package of spots. "Boyfriend" similarly shows the reactions of a young man, who’s seated in a car, helplessly listening to his girlfriend’s account of her ordeal.
The commercials began airing May 14 in the Seattle market. Loubek was involved in casting actors for both public service ads, extracting realistic, moving and unsettling performances.
Lisa Margulis executive produced for HKM, with Lisa Farnam producing.
The FCB Seattle team consisted of creative directors Mary Knight, Tom Scherer and Fred Hammerquist, art director Jason Wood, copywriter Jen Groth and producer Jen Allen.
The ads were cut by Johnna Turiano of Slice Editorial, Seattle. Online editor was Dan Larson of Modern Digital, Seattle. Jeff Tillotson of Flying Spot, Seattle, served as colorist. Sound designer/audio mixer was Eric Johnson of Clatter & Din, Seattle.
