Still Here by Irish Department of Justice and Equality

One of the most tragic aspects of the Covid-19 virus has been the surge in domestic abuse across the globe. For many victims this time in lockdown has exacerbated their feelings of isolation and helplessness.

In Ireland, this has affected every quarter of their society. To counter this, Ireland’s Department of Justice and Equality and creative agency TBWA\Dublin have created a campaign to remind us that “If your home isn’t safe, support is still here.”

To reflect an incident of domestic abuse in lockdown, Art Director Mikey Ryan and Copywriter Blaise Hoban had the idea of shooting the campaign’s TV spot using FaceTime. Directed by Rupert Morris of MAKE, the spot sees a woman on a video call with a friend who is then interrupted by her abuser.

This spot is complemented by two dramatic radio spots written by Niall McDonnell, in which male and female victims desperately evade their abusers to reach out for support from the Gardaí, and other frontline services.