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The #FreeHelen Solidari-tea campaign
The Solidari-tea Campaign
How 1000s of people joined a social movement to show solidari-tea with victims of abuse
ISSUE
In December 2015, a law was passed in the UK that criminalised coercive control, a form of non violent abuse where one partner controls and emotionally manipulates another over a sustained period of time. At this time, coercive control was little understood - even though it is said to be one of the .
How does The Archers come in to this?
The Archers had been working with Women's Aid and Refuge to through .
The public response to the storyline was huge - The Archers was credited with starting a about the issue and calls to the National Domestic Violence helpline went up 17% in what Women's Aid dubbed . Archers listeners were inspired to raise £200,000 for a women's charity.
IDEA
At this time, Helen felt entirely alone and afraid, just as countless victims of abuse do. We wanted to create a social moment where we could come together to show solidari-tea with Helen and with all of those who, in real life, are walking - or have walked - in her shoes. We asked people to share a cup of tea and a message of solidari-tea, to raise awareness and to show support for those people who need it on the #FreeHelen hashtag.
RESULTS
35,000 tweets with a potential reach of 235 million
The response was overwhelming. In just one week and a half, we received 35,000 TWEETS to the #FreeHelen hashtag.
The campaign had a potential reach of 235 million. Achieved entirely organically.
It sparked the slogan "control is not love" and #FreeHelen trended.
Celebrities lent their support as did women's organisations, charities and thousands upon thousands of ordinary people.
#FreeHelen was also reported on widely in the press.
We'll drink to that!
