‘This wasn’t the place for analogies’: Queensland Government unveils anti-coercive control campaign, via Khemistry
The Queensland Government is educating people on one of the “underpinning dynamic[s] of domestic and family violence” in a crucial campaign, via Khemistry.
The ‘See the Patterns’ platform spotlights the dangers of coercive control – a form of abuse that sees perpetrators engaging in ongoing abusive behaviours with the goal of dominating or controlling the other person. Coercive control results in a climate defined by “fear, humiliation, isolation and dependence”.
Sitting within “a broader program of work” aimed at eliminating family and domestic violence, ‘See the Patterns’ spotlights abusive actions – such as emotional, psychological and financial abuse, and stalking – and how they can evolve overtime, while explaining what signs Queenslanders should be looking for to identify cases of coercive control.
Outside of the signs, the platform also seeks to raise awareness of oncoming legislations that will see coercive control recognised as a criminal offence with “a maximum penalty of 14 years imprisonment”. The law is expected to take effect on May 26, 2025.
“Right now, only 2 in 5 Australians know what coercive control is,” said general manager, Jo Millington.
“We were truly honoured and committed to doing our part in supporting the protection of Queenslanders by helping bystanders and victim-survivors trust their gut in what they may be seeing or feeling.”
Executive strategy director, Kelly Brightwell, added: “While physical violence is called out, as a society we tend to overlook or minimise coercive control behaviours by using language like ‘protective’ or ‘worried’ to describe the behaviours of the person using violence.
“Disrupting that apathy was key to getting Queenslanders to take notice.”
When asked about the campaign, Brent Liebenberg, executive creative director, said that conciseness was an essential trait to weave into the platform’s creative.
As Liebenberg put it: “This wasn’t the place for analogies – countless women are in danger because they may not recognise the seriousness of the situation they’re in. The behaviour follows a pattern that’s easier to identify if you know what to look for, so clear, hard-hitting creative was paramount.”
‘See the Patterns’ entered the Queensland market on August 24, across digital, cinema, print, radio, TV, convenience and social channels.
More information and resources on domestic and family violence can be found at 1800RESPECT.
Credits:
Department of Justice and Attorney-General Strategic Communications
Marketing team leader – Nicole Copeland
Senior marketing officer – Laura Mac Kenzie
Creative Agency: Khemistry
General manager – Jo Millington
Executive strategy director – Kelly Brightwell
Executive creative director – Brent Liebenberg
Head of art – Lauren FitzGerald
Copywriter – Kelly Brightwell
Senior art director – Kory McAvoy
Senior account manager – Mila King
Account executive – Wendy Phan
Head of production – Robbie Dodd
Finished Art – Stephen Wallwork
Production Company: Taxi Film Production
Director – Siobhan Mulready
DOP – Jason Hargreaves
Executive producer – Andrew Wareham
Producer – Imogen Dick
Special contributor – Emma Freeman
Photographer – Aubrey Jonsson, Compadre
Retoucher – Derek Leong, DekArt
Post Production – Cutting Edge
Visual Talent:
George Oates – Collective Talent Management
Joel Pierce – Kubler Auckland Management
Nathan Simon – Freelance House
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Matthew is the editorial assistant at Mumbrella. He joined the company at the end of September 2023.
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Not the place for analogies but the strangely out of place Live Laugh Love font and a caricature performance just make this feel like a missed opportunity and more akin to a promo for a new TV show
Look up the Super Bowl 911 Pizza ad from a number of years back. 1000x more eye opening and real.
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