Campaign “Domestic violence is not a sport”

In collaboration with the graphic design studio Bruketa & Žinić, we organized a campaign titled “Domestic Violence Is Not a Sport – Next Time, Hit the Ball.” The campaign consists of four advertisements delivering anti-violence messages aimed at raising awareness about violence against women. The ads were published frequently over a two-week period in all printed media owned by Europapress Holding. Additionally, four posters were produced and, starting at the end of June, were displayed as part of a wide-ranging outdoor campaign: 60 City Lights posters, 500 posters on lamp posts, and many others on billboards and advertising columns throughout the City of Zagreb. A video spot was also created for the campaign, developed in line with the visuals and messaging of the posters and ads.

Our goal was to speak directly to men in a way that is specific and understandable to them—using football (soccer) terminology, sharing information in the form of statistics, and explaining issues using the language of the sport. The red card was used as a central symbol, representing a foul or prohibited action—just like physical abuse. The campaign is not aimed exclusively at perpetrators, but at the male population in general. Men often ignore things that don’t directly affect them, especially when it comes to their friends or “buddies.” Even if they know that a friend or acquaintance is aggressive at home, they rarely react—regardless of whether they condone that behavior—because “what happens in someone’s home isn’t my business.”

This campaign seeks to raise awareness that domestic violence is not okay, that it is not a “private matter,” and that the issue should not be silently ignored. It aims to show men that by distancing themselves from violent individuals, they can send a powerful message within their community. If we are quick to penalize violence and violations of fair play on sports fields, why are we so ready to tolerate it in private life?We emphasize that all work on the campaign—including design, City Lights placements, printing, and ads in EPH publications—was done entirely on a voluntary basis.