Republica, one of America’s leading and fastest-growing independent advertising and communications agencies, partnered with non-profit organization, Amigos For Kids, to create a powerful PSA aimed at raising awareness about the subtle signs of child abuse that, tragically, often go unnoticed. Inspired by the insight that abused children often hide subconscious clues of their situations in classroom drawings, Amigos for Kids created a gallery with a dark, hidden twist during Miami Art Week. The seemingly average installation exposed unsuspecting visitors to real drawings from real children, which later turned out to include troubling signs of abuse. The result was an eye-opening multi-platform campaign centered on a PSA video that is sure to spark dialog about this growing, tragic reality.
The Broken Crayons haunting, 4-day exhibit set the scene for an integrated, world-wide multi-media campaign launching today. The effort — created by Miami-based Republica for pro bono client, Amigos For Kids’ — consists of an interactive website, BrokenCrayons.us, and a film that transformed the honest, unscripted reactions of art-goers into a powerful PSA aimed at raising awareness of child abuse in all of its forms.
“With an international attendance of more than 160,000 people, Miami Art Week was a perfect backdrop to launch Broken Crayons as we bring to light the painful reality of child abuse,” said Jorge A. Plasencia, co-founder, chairman and CEO of Republica. “It is a time when all eyes are on our city, and the an ideal moment for us to work with Amigos For Kids to spread the important message that there is no excuse for child abuse,” he added.
The PSA, which showcases the work from renowned child protection expert, Dr. Elspeth McInnes, shows unsuspecting art goers come to the startling realization that children hide troubling truths in their classroom drawings. Many did not catch the subtle nuances at first glance. With audible gasps and shocked faces, the startling revelation that each child artist had been subjected to some form of abuse.
“Throughout my research, I’ve found a growing library of children’s drawings which upon further examination have pointed to abuse,” commented Dr. Elspeth McInnes, Senior Lecturer, University of South Australia. “Sometimes all it takes to prevent child abuse is awareness of its many signs. Therefore the works presented in the Broken Crayons campaign represent an important step forward to ending this tragic trend.”
The multi-platform campaign will host a website, BrokenCrayons.us, that serves as a virtual gallery, allowing visitors to witness and experience the shocking imagery along with the unique story tied to each drawing. Because most abusers are the victims’ parents or caregivers, Amigos For Kids knows that it is crucial to inform the general public of silent warning signs.
For more information about these harrowing images and the stories behind them, visit BrokenCrayons.us and share the PSA to spread awareness of these often unnoticed signs of child abuse.