Will the Superbowl Domestic Violence Ads Reach Their Goals?

As reported in the Huffington Post, the feminist website UltraViolet requested that Sports Illustrated run a short video which it produced as part of its #GoodellMustGo campaign.  Sports Illustrated agreed.  The video will run this Thursday in anticipation of this Sunday’s superbowl.  A discussion on what it means to be a man will follow the video.  The video shows a man in full football gear tackling an unhelmeted woman who is standing on the field.  The video notes that 55 domestic violence complaints have gone unanswered by the National Football League. 

You may view the video here.

During the Superbowl, the NFL will show a more subtle but gripping domestic violence ad.  Based upon an actual 911 call, the viewer hears the conversation as the caller orders a pizza.  The dispatcher twice reminds the caller that she reached 911.  The first statement that the caller makes is her address.  Eventually the dispatcher understands the seriousness of the call.  No violence is shown but camera pans the home which has items turned over.  The subtlety of the ad is effective and may be viewed here. 

The different focus of the ads is interesting.  The first visualizes the enormous physical power differences between abuser and target.  The assault seems to come out of the blue, a factor often reported by survivors.  What is missing is information that there is a relationship between the player and woman tackled.  Nonetheless, the tackle is a powerful image mimicking the contents of the Ray Rice video and is appropriate, given the organization’s goal in convincing the NFL to replace the commissioner. There is no subtlety in this video, as there was no nuance in the Rice video.

The NFL donated the running time for the Superbowl anti-domestic violence ad, as part of its “No More” campaign.  This ad exposes the more common reality of victims’  lives. The chaos of day to day living.  The disrupted household.  The intimidation that occurs through thrown objects or a push, which obviates the need to escalate to the Ray Rice punch in the face.  This ad demonstrates  the complexities of survivors’ decision making, which can be a powerful education for viewers .  Both ads depict  different types of abuse, both of which are effective methods of controlling the actions of the target.   Perhaps both ads will be effective in attaining their goals.