Planned Parenthood airs powerful global campaign in aftermath of Roe v Wade collapse
Planned Parenthood teamed with Vice’s creative agency to debut a new campaign for abortion rights on the heels of the historic Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v Wade. The spot aims to cultivate solidarity and inspire community-driven action during a critical moment in American history.
Nonprofit reproductive healthcare organization Planned Parenthood is striking back against the US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in a new global campaign.
The campaign’s anthem spot, ‘Force of Nature,’ Developed in partnership with Vice-owned agency Virtue (the group that last week snagged a Grand Prix at Cannes Lions for a project designed to preserve Ukrainian cultural artifacts), issues a powerful condemnation of the decision, which has sent shockwaves through the US and across the globe. The film likens anti-abortion activists’ efforts to overturn Roe to a storm that’s been long brewing — and one that’s finally culminating in real time.
In the spot, viewers see a diverse range of people whose lives are impacted by restricted abortion rights. “The storm is here,” a voiceover says. “They’ve stolen our right to control our own bodies, robbed our ability to decide our futures.” Just as the sense of darkness and grief peaks, the narrative switches its tune and the music begins to build. “But we’re built for this. We don’t stand by. We walk into the storm and turn its raw force into something transformative — because we don’t fight for the world as it was or as it is; we fight for a just world for ourselves and generations to come.” The spot closes by inviting viewers to visit the Planned Parenthood website, where they can find healthcare resources, get involved in local activism and learn about abortion laws across the US.
“It’s important to show the humanity of who this affects,” said Heather “McT” McTavish, Virtue’s group creative director, in a statement shared with The Drum. “And who is affected is not a monolith. It’s Black and Brown women, and lower income women who will be affected most. Now it’s up to us to fight back together. To keep moving forward. And, to make sure all of our voices are heard. To make sure that we have the right to govern our own bodies."
The campaign launches this week on Planned Parenthood’s social channels and will air on television networks including CNN, MSNBC, NBC, Telemundo and more. It will also be activated via streaming placements on Roku and Youtube, on Spotify and on digital, with a range of special buys across news sites covering politics and abortion.
Filmmaker and producer Sadé Clacken Joseph, who directed the spot, feels that this is the message viewers need to see now to know that the fight for abortion rights isn’t over. “There’s always a rainbow after every storm,” she said in a statement. “Making this video was cathartic, inspiring, and really emotional not only for me but for everybody involved. I hope this piece encourages us to walk toward the storm we find ourselves in today and not be afraid to stand in it, together.”