TimeTo urges agencies to protect staff against sexual harassment at Cannes Lions
Ahead of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2022, TimeTo has put a spotlight on cases of sexual harassment at Cannes and is urging organizations to take care of their staff.
A film titled ‘Where do you draw the line’ has been released featuring a young woman, Kelly, getting into a taxi after a night event at Cannes. Suddenly a male colleague corners her as he climbs into the taxi, demanding a change of destination to his hotel and putting his arm around the clearly uncomfortable woman. At each point the male colleague is inappropriate, the frame freezes on Kelly’s face and a red line draws over the screen, signifying “Where do you draw the line?”
The film has been created by Lucky Generals and Another Film Co’s Steve Reeves, and will be backed by some brand-new social images that build on the original messaging.
Harassment is prohibited under legislation including the Equality Act 2010 and Protection from Harassment Act 1997. However, in 2020 research commissioned by TimeTo found that in a survey of 1,250 people, half (49%) expected sexual harassment to rise as the industry returns to office working. Nine out of 10 (89%) added that sexual harassment is an issue the industry still needs to tackle.
Helen Calcraft, founder member of TimeTo and founder of Lucky Generals, said: “A lot has happened since summer 2019 and, more importantly, a lot more awareness of sexual harassment has been raised. More stories are starting to come out into the open and more people are discussing the issue. So it is crucial that this film and its messaging reach as many people as possible to remind everyone that while Cannes is a unique industry moment where we see the best of creativity the industry has to offer, it is also home to some of the most shocking and dangerous behavior.
“Last year’s research proved people were worried about sexual harassment returning to the office with us – from boundaries being forgotten to pent-up aggression. We must assume this is the same for Cannes, where there are factors that we know from our research that can exacerbate sexual harassment, such as alcohol and working away [from home]. The onus should not just be on those traveling to protect themselves, but on those sending them to protect them as well.”