Kim's appeal is right on target

While I've been focussing my energies on fight women's heart disease through Joannie Rochette's crusade at iheartmom.ca, I can't face Mother's Day without remembering that breast cancer continues to be a major priority for women. And I especially can't avoid a message from a woman from my past: Kim Cattrall



Many of you younger folk know this Canadian from her role on Sex and the City, but I remember her best for an earlier role in Porky's:



Let's just say she made a lasting impression on 12-year-old me. And she continues to be a star with a lot of appeal for both men and women.

Kim still gets her point across loud and clear in this message for Fashion Targets Breast Cancer, a fashion industry charity drive to raise funds for Rethink Breast Cancer.



Here in Canada, Supermarket clothing label Joe is the sponsor.

Back to our own celebrity campaign, thanks to the continued endorsement of Joannie Rochette, our iheartmom video is close to 4000 views, and the English and French Cause pages have almost 900 members each!

If you haven't checked out iheartmom.ca yet, do it now. We've added an option to donate to fight women's heart disease on your mom's behalf, and send a Mother's Day card letting her know. Can you imagine a better way to show your love?

Anti-violence ad banned for being too effective

Yeah, that's right. The shocking and powerful British cinema ad for Women's Aid, starring Keira Knightley, is apparently inappropriate for UK TV audiences.

Oh, you haven't seen it yet? Then watch before reading on:



This is social marketing at its best: surprising, gripping, and memorable. And stomach-churning. Just like the issue it portrays. But censors want to cut out the violence.

The ad was directed by Atonement's Joe Wright for Grey London. It quickly made the viral rounds via YouTube and has gained notice in advertising and entertainment blogs.

The censors in question are from Clearcast, the non-governmental organization that has to pre-approve all TV commercial scripts prior to broadcast. Here's their policy on violence:

6.2.2 Violence
Violence, cruelty and injury are themes which must be handled with great care and only in cases where they can be justified are they likely to be acceptable. These cases are likely to arise in public service messages, newsreel footage, film trailers and some charity advertising. Cartoon, theatrical and slapstick treatments may also be acceptable if they are clearly divorced from reality. However care must be taken not to give young viewers the impression that copying such violence would be safe or harmless fun.

The boldface is mine. How is this not justified as a public service message? Women's Aid says that:

1 in 4 women will be a victim of domestic violence in their lifetime – many of these on a number of occasions.

One incident of domestic violence is reported to the police every minute.

On average, 2 women a week are killed by a current or former male partner.

This decision by Clearcast, an agency that's just over a year old, is obviously a bad one. But at least the commercial is "out there", having reached over a million viewers worldwide so far. And the additional publicity that this mistake will generate can only increase that reach.

One of my causes wasn't so lucky, a few years back, when a client panicked and killed an ad we created to tell people to obey speed limits in residential areas, showing a child's funeral. We can only hope that there is enough show of support for brutal honesty in social marketing, in cases like the Women's Aid ad, that clients and regulators decide that "bold gets told"...