EMBARGOED UNTIL OCTOBER 22, 10:00 A.M. EST
The first unifying symbol to end domestic and sexual violence “NO MORE” unites celebrities, athletes, corporations, service providers, survivors and advocates in unprecedented awareness movement
New NO MORE PSAs were directed by Mariska Hargitay, Tate Donovan and Blair Underwood
WHAT: Nearly two dozen current and former NFL players – including NY Giants quarterback Eli Manning – are saying “NO MORE” to domestic violence and sexual assault in a new series of video and print Public Service Announcements (PSAs). The players came forward to help shed light on these urgent and often hidden crimes in a new way. Several had personal experiences with the issues, including Troy Vincent, NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations whose mother is a survivor of domestic violence, and Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback William Gay whose mother was killed by an abusive partner.
The new PSAs are the result of an unprecedented collaboration of celebrities, athletes, corporations, foundations and service providers who have donated their resources to bring these hidden issues into the public eye in a way that has never been done before. The creative development, production and airtime involved in this new campaign amount to millions in work hours and advertising dollars.
The new “NFL Players Say NO MORE” PSAs are centered around the first, unifying symbol (like the red AIDS ribbon), and bystander engagement movement for domestic violence and sexual assault, called NO MORE, which is supported by hundreds of national and local groups that are working to end domestic violence and sexual assault in the United States.
The PSAs were developed pro bono by Rachel Howald at the global ad agency Y&R (Young & Rubicam), produced by the Joyful Heart Foundation and Viacom’s social responsibility umbrella Viacommunity; directed by Joyful Heart Foundation founder Mariska Hargitay, actors Tate Donovan and Blair Underwood; and photographed by renowned celebrity photographer Timothy White.
The new video PSAs will premiere during Thursday Night Football on October 23rd and be seen on Viacom billboards in Times Square.
The original NO MORE PSAs launched in September 2013 and have since aired more than 27,000 times nationwide, in addition to being shown during the past 4 weeks of NFL game broadcasts.
For more information about NO MORE visit www.nomore.org.
WHY: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 1 in 3 women 1 in 4 men in the United States have experienced rape, physical violence, and stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime. Twenty four people every minute – more than 12 million women and men – are victims of physical violence, rape and stalking from their partners in one year.
The 2013 “NO MORE Study,” commissioned by the Avon Foundation for Women reveals that despite the vast numbers impacted by these crimes, people are not talking about them. Three out of four (73%) parents have not had a conversation about domestic violence or sexual assault with their children.
Simply starting a conversation about these issues can help – as 64% of Americans say if we talk more about domestic violence and sexual assault, it would make it easier to help someone.
NO MORE is helping to get the conversation started.
WHEN: October 22, 2014
WHO: “NFL Players Say NO MORE” PSAs feature:
- Aeneas Williams
- Alfred Morris
- Antonio Gates
- Ben Watson
- Charles Way
- Cris Carter
- Curtis Martin
- D’Brickashaw Ferguson
- Dwayne Allen
- Dwight Hollier
- Eli Manning
- James Thrash
- Jason Witten
- John Dorenbos
- John Lynch
- LaVar Arrington
- Mark Herzlich
- Merton Hanks
- Prince Amukamara
- Trent Green
- Troy Vincent
- William Gay
Available for Interview:
- Tate Donovan, Actor and director
- Blair Underwood, Actor and director
- NFL Representatives
- Virginia Witt, Director NO MORE
- Katie Ray-Jones, President, National Domestic Violence Hotline
- Monika Johnson Hostler, President, National Alliance to End Sexual Violence
- Maile Zambuto, Chief Executive Officer, Joyful Heart Foundation
- Rachel Howald, Y&R (Young & Rubicam), Creative Director of NO MORE PSA campaign
- David Katz, Vice President of Corporate Responsibility for Viacom
- Survivors of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault
CONTACT: Kate Hunte
kate@finnpartners.com
About NO MORE
NO MORE is a new unifying symbol designed to galvanize greater awareness and action to end domestic violence and sexual assault. Supported by major organizations working to address these urgent issues, NO MORE is gaining support with Americans nationwide, sparking new conversations about these problems and moving this cause higher on the public agenda. To find out how you can get involved, visit www.nomore.org. Or for regular updates, follow NO MORE on Twitter @NOMOREorg or Facebook www.facebook.com/NOMORE.org.