Refuge: leaderboard-top-1 by McCann Bristol

Refuge has followed up on its powerful reversible poem campaign, with two TV adverts, both shot on one continuous rolling film.

The TV ads, created by McCann Bristol, set out to raise awareness of domestic violence.

The ads are a continuation of a campaign that began at the beginning of December, which saw a number of full-page ads capture the unsettling reality of domestic violence, through the medium of reversible poetry.

This time, however, the reversible poems are spoken through the mouths of two actors.

The films are stripped back to focus solely on the victim telling her domestic violence experience, which effectively ensures that domestic abuse is at the centre of thought throughout the ad.

The camera starts low on the actors’ faces at the beginning of the films, to capture the joy and excitement of Christmas. In similar fashion to the reversible ads, the story the women recite appears to be traditional tales of Christmas with family.

Yet, as the poem turns, and the viewer quickly realises that these tales are of domestic abuse, the camera rolls back in and moves to position above the actors to heighten their vulnerability.

Maxine Peake, a long-standing supporter of Refuge, provides the voiceover for both films.

Mistletoe will premiere on Christmas Day, featuring Grace Stotesbury, 23, in her first TV film role.

Meanwhile, Sasha Frost, 34, acts in Auld Lang Syne, which comes with an extra caution due to content of a distressing nature.

The poems were created by Zane Radcliffe and Ken Sara of McCann Bristol.

Post-production was by Craft London, Cherry Cherry and sound and audio by SNK. FleishmanHillard Fishburn and McCann provided PR for the campaign. Media was negotiated by Universal McCann across McCann’s Bristol and Birmingham offices. Everyone involved in the campaign has donated their services to Refuge free of charge.