Celebrities, athletes, corporate leaders, and advocates have joined forces to generate awareness for domestic violence and sexual assault and encourage bystanders to help, in a dramatic new series of public service announcements that feature the NO MORE symbol, the first unified branding symbol (like the pink breast cancer ribbon) for these issues.
A new, celebrity-driven NO MORE PSA campaign is being unveiled to the public that directly addresses the silence and inaction of Americans on domestic abuse. The NO MORE PSA campaign was spearheaded by the Joyful Heart Foundation, one of the many championing organizations behind the creation of the NO MORE symbol, and was directed by actress and advocate Mariska Hargitay, the Foundation’s President and Founder, in her directorial debut. The campaign, involving more than 40 celebrities and public figures to engage bystanders to get involved, was developed in partnership with Y&R and photographed by world-renowned Timothy White.
Beginning today, the three-year PSA campaign will roll out across the country in local and national markets via print, broadcast, online and outdoor advertising, in movie theaters across the country, and in major airports and medical facilities. The Ad Council’s Endorsed Campaign program has endorsed the campaign, and the Entertainment Industry Foundation is also helping generate awareness. Other major partnerships include Viacom, Lifetime Television, ConnectiVISION Digital Networks/ClearVISION and OK TV!.
“Being a part of NO MORE from the beginning has been a great privilege, especially the launch in Washington DC, where I got to stand with Vice President Biden and Attorney General Holder,” said Hargitay. “And if that wasn’t enough, directing the NO MORE PSAs was a dream come true. Society continues to misplace shame and blame on survivors. That has to end. What we saw during the filming, brave and strong and authentic person after person, was people standing up for each other, for the people they love, for their partners, wives, husbands, children, friends, mothers and fathers, for people they’ve never met, for themselves. I was just moved beyond words. NO MORE fills me with confidence and renewed determination.”
Among the stars who have taken part are Katie Couric, Christopher Meloni, Debra Messing, Tim Gunn, Marcia Gay Harden, Maria Bello, Blair Underwood, Ice-T, CCH Pounder, Tamara Tunie, Camryn Manheim, Nia Vardalos, Stephanie March, and more.
The NO MORE PSAs can be viewed at www.nomore.org/psas. Anyone can follow the conversation on Twitter throughout the week, at hashtag #NOMOREexcuses, where celebrities, experts and advocates will promote and share updates on the PSA launch.
The NO MORE PSAs are available at no cost to non-profit organizations, universities and corporations across the country to co-brand and increase support in their local communities for domestic violence and sexual assault prevention and services. Many will begin using the PSAs locally beginning this fall, including: Washington State Native American Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, WomenSpirit Coalition (affiliate of Washington State Native American Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault), Nevada Network Against Domestic Violence, Northwestern University, Joliet Junior College, California Coalition Against Sexual Assault, Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence, Casa de Esperanza, National Resource Center on Domestic Violence, National Domestic Violence Hotline/Love Is Respect, Jewish Women International and Winnemucca Domestic Violence Services, Inc.
- The New Symbol for Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault – NO MORE
NO MORE has been in the making since 2009 and was developed because despite the significant progress that has been made in raising awareness around these issues, they remain hidden and on the margins of public concern. Virtually every domestic violence and sexual assault prevention organization in the U.S. is behind NO MORE, along with corporate leaders, branding experts, celebrities, athletes and advocates nationwide.
NO MORE was designed to unify everyone working to combat these issues in an unprecedented way – whether their focus is women and girls, men and boys, teenagers, children, minorities, rural or urban communities – as well as corporate leaders from a variety of business sectors behind one, powerful brand created to transform awareness and action.
