Viewers given seven seconds to stop sexist behaviour in interactive OurWatch ads
Thinkerbell and Ourwatch, the national body for the prevention of violence against women, have created a series of campaign videos which help Australians recognise and combat sexist behaviour.
The interactive campaign tells the viewer they have seven seconds to do something after someone makes a sexist gesture or comment, encouraging people to speak up.
The doing nothing does harm campaign features five videos which depict common scenarios where sexist comments are made about women looking after children, women not being able to run companies and objectifying a woman in a restaurant.
OurWatch’s website also offers advice on how to show sexist comments aren’t acceptable, how to support women and how to speak up.
During the YouTube ads viewers are prompted to “do something” after someone has made a sexist comment, by clicking a prompt on the top left corner of the screen.
The ending of the ad depends on whether or not viewers click the button.
The campaign was created after research found 79% of Australians want guidance on how to take positive bystander action. The research also found that only 14% of people were likely to react to sexist behaviour.
Natasha Stott Despoja, chair at OurWatch, said in a statement: “We know from our research that disrespectful attitudes and behaviours are part of the culture that can drive violence against women. When everyday signs of disrespect go unchallenged, it is normalised, excused and tolerated.”
Adam Ferrier, founder of Thinkerbell, added: “We wanted to create a campaign that mimics real life. This work both captures the awkwardness, and harm, that occurs when people choose to do nothing, however it also rewards people for taking action – in that they will witness less sexist behaviour if they do.”
This campaign will do nothing
User ID not verified.
This is excellent. Great idea and seemless use of tech.
User ID not verified.
I click on every Thinkerbell article, because there’s always a twist on an idea that I appreciate. But then there’s always a troll who clearly lost out on a pitch or an award because of this agency who tries to smear it.
Mumbrella… please be aware.
User ID not verified.
Soon every vestige of male sensibility and sexuality will be outlawed.
Please dont tell me how to think.
Men should be allowed to be stupid, clumsy and dumb. Thats how they learn.
And to be frank these set ups arent really honest.Maybe this happened in the 1950s.
And will we see a female version where men are belittled by women?
Ok…go hard lefties.
User ID not verified.
Nice work! Really unique way to change the perspective of the creative and capture the realness of the situation
User ID not verified.
I really like this. Reminds me a lot of a UK knife/gun crime YouTube series from about 10 years ago where you determine the outcome.
User ID not verified.
Im glad to see, that you are spreading awareness about Sexism. I didnt know about this Campain in particular but Sexism in itself is always wort fighting against. Keep up the good work.
User ID not verified.
As a woman i experience sexist behaviour by men every day, whether it be small or large. All humans are stupid, clumsy, and dumb, not just men, yet if we use this to forgive men’s behaviour then there will never be the changes which we need so everyone feels safe. All humans need to learn how to respect each gender, especially men. This advertisement is not shaming a man for belittling a woman, it’s addressing the start of a larger problem, which is domestic abuse and violence towards women. If you don’t support changing attitudes of women then you are apart of the problem. No one is expected to automatically know what is and isn’t sexist behaviour but listen to women when we tell you.
User ID not verified.
This is disgraceful.
Do we live in a world where men aren’t allowed to find a person attractive?
I have heard countless female friends comment the same about handsome men (or pretty women for that matter).
Not only is this just simple human sexual attraction but it is not even exclusive to the male sex.
And to top it off, he was joking, as shown in his chuckle. Lighten up.
This isn’t perpetuating disrespect to women, this is perpetuating the sexual revolution, a movement which western society has more or less embraced.
This is a step in the wrong direction.
User ID not verified.