Shining light on digital relationship abuse

Charitable foundation One Love has enlisted creative agency minds + assembly to help educate young people and their caregivers on digital relationship abuse.

The campaign, Unhealthy Connections, draws attention to how young people are increasingly subjected to harmful behaviors in relationships that are conducted online and educates audiences on how to spot the warning signs.

The ad spots, which will be shown on networks such as NBC Universal, demonstrate that a frantic stream of texts is a sign of obsession, not devotion. Demanding FaceTime at all hours is about control, not love.

One Love was founded to honor the memory of Yeardley Love, a 22-year-old college student whose life was tragically cut short when she was killed by her ex-boyfriend. Her family’s realization that her death might have been prevented had anyone recognized the signs of an unhealthy and increasingly dangerous relationship inspires their work. So far, they’ve reached and educated more than 2 million people through their outreach. October is Domestic Abuse Awareness Month, and the need for better education and support has never been more pressing.

“The importance of this cause meant that the work had to be authentic and direct to really connect with the right audience,” said Stephen Minasvand, cofounder at minds + assembly. “By working closely with One Love and Gen Z ambassadors, we understood that online relationships can be just as real as in-person relationships. Consequently, the damage that occurs online can be just as destructive as it is in real life. However, unhealthy online behaviors often occur in secret, behind closed doors.”

With this insight, minds + assembly developed the campaign from a single powerful idea: unhealthy relationships thrive in the dark.

The viewer is led to believe that there is a physical, real-life confrontation happening behind a closed door, only to discover that this harmful exchange is actually happening via text messages. Nothing is out of place in the room, but the emotional impact is visible on the face of each young person in the three scenarios created for the campaign.

Katie Hood, CEO at One Love says: “By partnering with minds + assembly on this campaign, we hope to shine light and expose unhealthy behaviors that thrive in secrecy so young people and their caregivers learn how healthy relationships grow in the light.”

This fall, the campaign will be featured on broadcast media and digital platforms across the US, including NBC Universal, NBC NY, and ID Discovery, as well as on the social gaming network Twitch. The campaign will direct the audience to resources developed by One Love for young people to help them safely navigate the unique challenges of remote relationships. One Love is also partnering with the dating app Hinge.