Quirky Take on Child Abuse May Leave You Feeling Queasy
Here's a set of prints that go with this child abuse/wedding reception ad by Whybin\TBWA Sydney for Australia's ASCA (Adults Surviving Child Abuse). Each approaches the topic with blithe, discomfiting irony.
You know, it's the kind of thing you'd find funny if it weren't so ... not-at-all.
See greeting card: "You're a special dad (slap, kick, pow!)"
See birthday cake: "Celebrating 20 years since you said I should have been aborted" -- arrow down if you can't see all of it at once.
Collective wince.
Comments
It's not meant to be funny. Using familiar images serves to make the message all the more impressive. I really appreciate this campaign and what they're trying to do.
I wish I hadn't had to wait as many years as I did for my father and my older sister to actually admit I was never wanted as part of the family. Instead I blamed paranoia for what I was feeling and couldn't understand why I engaged in self-destructive behavior and crappy relationships. I didn't know I'd suffered abusive behavior.
Abuse is never funny. Yes, these cards would make almost anyone take notice. Anyone but the child abusers themselves who would probably see nothing disturbing in these series of ads. I would be interested in seeing the positive as well as the negative effects of these PSA's. Any feedback is appreciated.