Face à l’Inceste - Protect Children from Incest | Clapboard Ad Archive

Behind the door

Description

In November 2023, Face à l’Inceste launched a powerful integrated campaign in France called Behind the Door, created by Publicis Conseil, to address the critical issue of protecting children who are victims of incest. This campaign shines a stark light on the current French legal framework, which mandates that a child victim must visit the alleged abusive parent during the investigation—potentially forcing children to return to harmful environments for months or even years until prosecution. Despite a recent law proposal by MP Isabelle Santiago advancing in the French Assembly, the protections remain insufficient. Backed by a September 2023 IPSOS poll revealing that 95% of French people support keeping children away from alleged aggressors as soon as incest is disclosed, the campaign seeks to mobilize public and political will for legal reform. The campaign’s initial phase called out MPs directly by delivering 577 handwritten letters from fictitious alleged perpetrators, voiced through testimonies from actual victims, sarcastically thanking lawmakers for maintaining parental authority that prolongs child exposure to abuse. Following this, the emotionally charged film Behind the Door, directed by Rudi Rosenberg and produced by Division with support from the Kering Foundation, presents the harrowing experience from the perspective of a young girl forced back into the presence of her aggressor by her mother. Through seasoned actors and a poignant narrative, the film aims to vividly illustrate the violence and absurdity embedded in the current legal process, engender public empathy, and prompt widespread signing of the petition advocating for stronger protections. By combining direct political engagement with deeply emotional storytelling, Face à l'Inceste continues to drive public awareness and demands for urgent legislative change to better shield vulnerable children from the trauma of incest within the justice system.

Credits

Client

Face à l’Inceste

Agency

Publicis Conseil

Campaign Proposition

The campaign "Behind the Door," developed by Publicis Conseil for Face à l’Inceste, seeks to expose and challenge the inadequacies of the current French legal system in protecting children who are victims of incest. It highlights the disturbing reality that, under existing law, child victims are compelled to visit their alleged abusive parent during lengthy investigations, a practice that many view as harmful and counterproductive. By dramatizing this situation from a child’s perspective through a poignant film, the campaign underscores the urgency for legislative reform. The core brand proposition centers on advocacy and protection, emphasizing Face à l’Inceste’s commitment to safeguarding vulnerable children through legal change. It aims to raise public awareness about the systemic flaws that perpetuate trauma and to galvanize support for stronger protective measures, notably by encouraging signatures on a petition linked to ongoing legislative debates. Strategically, the campaign leverages a dual-phase approach: first, it directly confronts policymakers through a provocative “Thank you” letter initiative that uses testimonies to hold MPs accountable for maintaining parental authority despite unresolved allegations. Second, it engages the broader public via emotionally resonant storytelling that invites empathy and action. This combination is informed by a recent Ipsos poll revealing that 95% of French citizens favor immediate protective separation of the child from the alleged aggressor, highlighting a significant disconnect between public opinion and legal practice. By framing the issue through personal, relatable narratives and involving citizens in advocacy, the campaign aims to pressure lawmakers while fostering widespread societal support for reform.

Creative Device

FORMAT#2 SHOW THE PROBLEM — Highlights a relatable problem, then shows the product as the solution. This campaign fits FORMAT#2 because it directly dramatizes the harrowing legal situation experienced by child victims of incest without resorting to metaphor or symbolics, instead viscerally showcasing the profound distress caused by existing laws—specifically, the obligation for abused children to be returned to their abusers during investigations. The narrative is deliberately constructed to expose the legal absurdity and emotional trauma, culminating in a call-to-action (signing the petition) as the concrete “solution.” The focus remains entirely on portraying and personalizing the real-world problem, with audience involvement positioned as the remedy. ADVERTISING FORMATS EXPLAINED: https://www.clapboard.com/blog/branding-and-advertising/brand-strategy/12-advertising-creative-formats