Winner: Ruder Finn & Liz Claiborne
Campaign: Love Is Not Abuse
Liz Claiborne has been a long-time advocate of ending domestic violence, but partnering with Ruder Finn allowed the company to expand its multifaceted Love is Not Abuse
(LINA) domestic violence campaign to reach an overlooked population: teenagers.
The team collaborated with the Educational Development Center to develop and launch a sustainable nationwide curriculum for middle and high school students to tackle teen-
dating violence. The LINA program's introduction of the first National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline (NTDA) and its Web site, loveisrespect.org, along with focus groups and a
partnership with the National Domestic Violence Hotline boosted the depth and impact of LINA last year. The linchpin of the overall campaign? Technology.
Dial Tone
New research targeted toward technology, mainly cell phones and the Internet, helped develop an alliance to generate attention for the LINA prevention and curriculum hotline.
The team updated the LINA curriculum to include videos of Liz Claiborne's teen taskforce, and the NTDA site offered teens the chance to speak out via uploaded videos.
Outreach greatly impacted visibility and awareness for "It's Time to Talk Day," Liz Claiborne's annual day dedicated to domestic violence awareness.
Talkin' the Talk
The campaign via its helpline and "It's Time to Talk Day" has garnered awareness about teen dating abuse through various media outlets, including Family Circle magazine, USA
Today and the Fox Morning Show with Mike and Juliet. The National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline produced more than 6,200 telephone and chat contacts from teens and parents
nationwide.