This week, we sit down with Molly Tappin, Associate Creative Director at The Wild by Jungle Creations, to explore the poignant and proactive campaign “Shirt 38.” Born out of a pressing need to address the alarming rise in domestic abuse cases linked to football tournaments, this campaign stands as a beacon of hope and awareness.
Molly delves into the campaign's inception, the creative process, and the collaborative efforts with domestic abuse survivors and organizations. Join us as we uncover the powerful narrative and innovative strategies that drive this impactful initiative.
What was the brief?
There was no initial brief as this was a proactive campaign that came from the heart. We had seen previous charity campaigns highlighting the increase in domestic abuse cases when the England men’s football team play and realised that with Euro 2024 looming, the incidence of domestic abuse was, sadly, yet again likely to spike.
We wanted to use our huge reach - The Wild by Jungle is publisher-powered by Jungle Creations, whose platforms have more than 150 million followers - to raise awareness of the horrific statistics and do our part to show there is help out there and to perhaps even save a life. Our ambitions were lofty but at the same time very humbling.
How did the initial pitch/brainstorming phase go?
In the early stages, we initially discussed if we should try and activate the campaign with a brand to get it off the ground. But we quickly decided that this was not the right approach, as the aim of our campaign was to show survivors of domestic abuse, those experiencing domestic abuse and individuals at risk of abuse that they are not alone and there is support out there.
Unlike our day-to-day campaigns we quickly agreed that our goal was not to hero ourselves or a brand partner but to help those people who were caught-up in a shocking and frightening situation.
What was the process behind ideating the concept?
When the England men's team lose a match in a major tournament, domestic abuse rises by 38%. I read that shocking statistic 10 years ago and a decade later, that statistic remains the same. As a lifelong football fan, it pained me that the sport I love is a trigger for so many people's pain and suffering, so I felt compelled to do something.
We knew that to break through the noise of the Euros and have real world impact, we would need a cut through visual. But we didn’t want this to be just another poster or video.
We thought about football and the iconic moments in time in the sport and came up with the ‘shirt reveal’. It’s a classic media moment when any team signs up their latest talisman and unveiling the new kit is an integral part of the lead-up to any tournament.
Shirts and football are synonymous, but often are associated with rivalry. In stark contrast, we wanted to create a shirt that symbolises togetherness, hope and solidarity. As a result, Shirt 38, an alternative England kit, was born.
At first glance, it could be just another normal football shirt, but Shirt 38 is packed with symbolism.
- The badge: a faint England flag - alluding to the idea that this is an ‘England’ shirt with a difference
- The three lions: facing the other direction with their tails facing down, not up - when a cat's tail is facing down it’s feeling defensive and aggressive behaviour might follow
- The main sponsor: No More Injury Time placed in the middle of the shirt
- The ‘suppliers/sponsors’: Four Nine’s Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) partners placed top right and on the shirt sleeves
- The number: no. 38 taking prime position on the back of the shirt - reflecting the staggering 38% increase in domestic abuse cases when the England men’s team lose in a major tournament. A small ‘%’ placed at the bottom of the number ‘8’
- The back collar: Four Nine’s logo, present but not the key focus
The involvement of domestic abuse survivors and organisations dedicated to combating Violence Against Women and Girls was imperative for us. We reached out to creators in this space, and found Solace and the National Centre for Domestic Violence (NCDV), who quickly came on board and provided invaluable insights into such a harrowing issue
What was the production process like?
A crucial part of the process was the casting element and making sure we worked with both charities to include survivors of domestic abuse throughout the campaign. We wanted the message to come from their mouths and having them all in one location to do this was crucial.
We partnered with Brentford F.C. as a location for the shirt launch video - we only had four hours inside the stadium and three different aspects of the shoot happening at the same time - the shirt launch, the photography and the vox pops shoots.
As this was a self-funded campaign, we looked to be agile with our shirt production, going from design to delivery in less than 10 weeks. We wanted the design of the shirt to be inspired by the England shirt but have its own unique elements.
What was the biggest challenge during production? How did you overcome it?
As this was a self-funded campaign by The Wild By Jungle/Jungle Creations, we had a limited budget. Finding a relevant location was the biggest challenge due to time pressures and budget. Thankfully, Brentford F.C., who are active in supporting domestic abuse awareness, offered their stadium free of charge for us to shoot our launch film.
What’s the main message of this project and why does it matter?
The 38% statistic isn’t changing – why? Domestic abuse is horrific and the link between football and domestic abuse is undeniable. The main message is one of hope and spotlighting support available for those caught up in it, but also one of awareness. We need people to be aware of the issue before it is possible to change behaviours.
How long did it take from inception to delivery?
The idea took six months, from February to June with some real fleet of foot moments along the way such as shirt design and production.
Can you describe the creative spark or inspiration behind the initial concept? Was there a specific moment or insight that ignited the idea?
Reported cases of domestic abuse go up by 38% when the England men's team lose a match at a major tournament, and 26% if they play a game, regardless of if they win or draw. I love football. It is a travesty that the sport is tarnished by this shocking state of affairs.
How did you ensure that the concept aligned with the brand's values, goals, and target audience?
As we did not have a brand partner, our sole concern was to create a safe space for our Violence Against Women and Girls partners (Solace and NCDV) and survivor ambassadors and charity ambassadors where they had a voice and could speak to others who are in need of help or who could become supportive allies.
Were there any alternative concepts or ideas considered during the ideation phase? If so, what led to the selection of the final concept?
At first, we discussed focusing on physical violence rather than all types of domestic abuse. This could have included visualising getting ‘England Match Ready’ with makeup ‘transformation videos’ that showed women drawing bruises and tears on their faces, instead of expected looks. However, we felt we needed to highlight that not all abuse is physical – it can include coercive control, financial abuse, sexual abuse, etc.
This is what sets this campaign apart from other campaigns in the past which have focused on the physical side of abuse.
Can you discuss any collaborative or interdisciplinary aspects of the ideation process, such as working with other departments or external partners?
We worked closely with our VAWG partners (Solace and NCDV) and included their survivor ambassadors and charity ambassadors within content.
How did you ensure that the concept remained innovative and stood out in a crowded marketplace?
A key visual (Shirt 38) that turned heads because it wasn’t as it first seemed and putting survivors of domestic abuse (their emotion, story and message to others experiencing domestic abuse) at the heart of everything we did helped us stand out.
We deliberately chose the start of the Euro 2024 tournament knowing that there would be a lot of noise to compete against but also knowing that this would be a tinderbox moment around domestic abuse.
What do you hope it achieves for the brand?
Sadly, this situation isn’t going to disappear overnight, but we hope to have raised awareness that this is a massive issue, to have given hope and a route to help for survivors and ultimately that we may have saved a life.
Credit list for the work?
Jungle & The Wild by Jungle:
Molly Tappin - Associate Creative Director
Kelsie Leonard - Head of Project Management
Isabel Boardman - Senior Project Manager
Beth Tootill - Project Manager
Barbara Desiderato - Head of Design
Pamela Dragone - Designer
Charley Sutton - Head of Video
Bobbi Talbot - Creative Producer
Matthew Boner - Senior Videographer
Bobby Steere - Videography Manager
Calum Mason - Edit Executive
Charlie Colwill - Senior Video Editor
Itteshad Hossain - Senior Videographer
Johnny de Croy - Senior Videography Executive
James Fenn - Director of Production
Jason Campion - Production Lead
Lauren Kirkland - Social Creative Lead
Christie Waku - Creative Executive
Sarah Lockie - Head of Product and Growth Marketing
Stephanie Iosue - Marketing and Communications Manager
Tom Jackson - Director of Brand & Creative
NCDV:
Sharon Bryan - Head of Partnerships and Development, NCDV
Michelle Mowbray - Marketing Director, e-innovate / NCDV
Solace:
Rosie Okumbe - Senior Communications Officer, Solace
Rob Wyllie - Media and Communications Manager, Solace
