While instances of sexual harassment in the ad industry reduced significantly during Covid-19, simply down to a lack of opportunity to harass, TimeTo is warning that sexual harassment is likely to return to pre-pandemic levels, as people gradually make their way back to the office.
The campaign, set by the initiative set up by Nabs to tackle sexual harassment in advertising and marketing, has been created in response to research that found 49% of adlanders believe that sexual harassment is likely to return to pre-pandemic levels.
Previously, TimeTo's comms has sought to engage people in debate, asking "where do you draw the line"? This is no longer enough, it argues, with the new tagline ''it's time to draw the line' and sign up to TimeTo training, created alongside Lucky Generals.
To get this message across, Lucky Generals has created a hard-hitting film to demonstrate real-life experiences that are likely to start happening.
The ad features a montage of eerily empty and quiet office spaces, instantly recognisable all industry places adlanders work in.
As the ad plays, real-life accounts of a diverse range of women and men who have experienced sexual harassment are dubbed over the top, giving the viewer the feeling they are listening to ghosts of past traumatic moments, combined with a chilling prediction of what lies ahead.
To protect their identity, the accounts have been anonymised and paraphrased.
With a nod to TimeTo's 'it's time to draw the line' campaign, a red line travels through the offices leading to the final shot which delivers the title: “Sign your company up for sexual harassment training today.”
Kerry Glazer chair at TimeTo, said: “The statistics say it all. 49% of adlanders believe that as we return to work, sexual harassment is likely to return to pre-pandemic levels which is simply unacceptable. And if you’re a business leader, chances are it’s going to start happening again on your watch.
“So much has been said about the desire not to return to the “old normal” and the will to “build back better”. One thing we cannot tolerate is the resumption of historic predatory behaviour. Our world-class training gives businesses a simple cost-effective tool to tackle this insidious issue at its core.”