#drawaline - UN Women | Clapboard Ad Archive
UN Women UK’s #drawaline campaign, created by JWT for the Public Service market, embodies a powerful response to the burgeoning momentum of the #MeToo movement in Year 2017, leveraging global focus on Violence Against Women and Girls by transforming a grave societal crisis into an urgent, participatory call to action. Built around the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, the campaign positions the brand not simply as a champion of awareness but as a rallying force mobilizing collective zero tolerance, with the central creative idea materializing through a striking orange line physically drawn across Covent Garden — a visually simple yet forceful metaphor for refusing to accept the status quo. This singular act, amplified by the involvement of notable celebrities such as Benedict Cumberbatch, Deliciously Ella, and Gemma Styles, meant the campaign could transcend mere symbolism to achieve mass resonance: empowering individuals to share why they personally draw a line and to contribute to the movement both through social media and tangible support at drawaline.org.uk. What Clapboard's taxonomy would classify as FORMAT#3—Symbolize the Problem, the campaign sidesteps explicit depictions of violence, instead enlisting the orange line as an immediately recognisable symbol that crystallizes the collective threshold of what society will permit. JWT’s strategy hinges on the connective tissue between physical activism and digital amplification, orchestrating a cohesive media ecosystem that includes film content, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, each designed to convert momentary attention into ongoing engagement and meaningful behavioural change. The choice to focus on a major public landmark for the campaign kickoff maximizes public visibility while reinforcing the idea that the issue affects everyone, everywhere—a message that underpins UN Women’s broader positioning as a leading voice for structural transformation in the public interest space. Amid a competitive landscape where organisations like Amnesty International, Women’s Aid, Equality Now, Refuge, and the White Ribbon Campaign delineate their approaches through legal, survivor-first, or male ally-driven intervention, UN Women UK’s #drawaline differentiates by merging mass outreach with visual activism in service of both awareness and advocacy. Clapboard rates this 68/100. Campaigns like #drawaline matter to the industry because they harness the emotive currency of symbolism and collective participation, setting a benchmark for how public service brands can catalyse not just conversation but cultural commitment at scale.
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