For many, this past NFL season won’t be remembered for the quality of its games but the wave of domestic violence that has tarnished the league’s image. Two of its most high-profile players – Adrian Peterson and Ray Rice – were suspended for domestic violence. Rice’s case attracted particular attention after the league initially gave him just a two-week suspension for knocking out his fiancee in a casino elevator.
The league has started to push back against accusations that it doesn’t take the issue seriously, so it’s little surprise that the NFL has chosen to air an anti-domestic violence ad on Super Bowl Sunday. As well as an unofficial national holiday, it is also a day when rates of domestic violence spike.
The ad is part of the NFL’s No More campaign, which the league has promoted during games throughout the season. The league says it has devoted $50m worth of airtime to anti-domestic violence ads over the season. The ad itself is simple but unsettling. As the camera pans through a house that has been the scene of domestic violence, a woman’s voice is heard calling 911. It’s clear that she is too afraid to tell the operator what has happened to her, instead pretending to order a pizza. The operator eventually understands the reason for her call and the ad ends with the words: “When it’s hard to talk, it’s up to us to listen.”
Whether the ad is enough to change people’s minds about the NFL’s policies is another question.
The pitch: The NFL highlights domestic violence on a day when the assaults spike
The backstory: The league has struggled to convince observers – including some sponsors – that it is doing enough to tackle the issue
The social-media campaign: Advert placed on YouTube, with the ad to run in the first quarter of Sunday’s game
The reaction: A cautious welcome
@TIME Not really "chilling" but it does make a point.
— Christine Lambe (@txblondegrad) January 27, 2015
@ABC7 the #nfl under reacts to domestic violence, then over reacts to deflated balls. Hmmm. Interesting.
— Stephanie Degraff (@Mizzdee78) January 28, 2015
