Shame sexting campaign

In shorts

‍With the Shame Sexting Campaign, Victim Support, in collaboration with N=5 and supported by Blyde, it made it clear that online sexual violence is more common than many think. The campaign divided responsibility: feelings of guilt and shame are normal but not justified, and resources exist. Free publicity, media attention and social conversations were used to break shame.

Background
& purpose

Online sexual harassment, such as shame sexting, affects more than 5% of Dutch people over 16 years old — more than 750,000 people. Consequences can include trust issues, anxiety disorders, depression, or other mental health issues. With this campaign, Victim Support Netherlands wanted to show that feelings of guilt and shame are understandable, but not justified, and that victims are not alone: there is help.

Concept
& execution

In a collab with N=5, a selection of key media was approached: news and marcom titles. Blyde provided the storytelling, press approach and planning for free publicity. The campaign was featured prominently in the NOS news, EditionNL, Heart of the Netherlands, and in background articles in, among others, Algemeen Dagblad, De Volkskrant and RTL News. Through strong visuals and interviews, the topic of shame sexting was made tangible, with direct references to existing tools.

Results
& impact

- The campaign achieved a potentially stacked reach of over 53 million people.
- Tea ad value of the media value was almost €400,000.
- The campaign achieved broad media participation: from NOS news to Volkskrant, RTL News and various newspapers and TV shows.

The most essential result is that — with this campaign — we have contributed to breaking the taboo surrounding online sexual violence, and made it clear to victims that they are not responsible for the feelings of shame. The campaign increased public awareness and stimulated social dialogue about requests for help and support opportunities.

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