Although it is currently illegal to share explicit images of someone without their permission, there is currently no law against threatening to do so. A threat which can loom over people and can even, believes Refuge, be exploited by abusive partners, who use it to coerce their partners into acting against their will. 

Teaming up with Cosmopolitan and Love island star Zara McDermott, Refuge is working to lobby the government to change the law around threatening revenge porn or the sharing of explicit images of someone.

#TheNakedThreat campaign, created by AMV BBDO focuses on the words used to threaten, drawing parallels in the creative between threats made and traditional ransom notes, which are illegal. The campaign highlights real messages domestic abuse victims received and experiences they’ve had.

Initially, the creative ran as a hack of Cosmopolitan’s Instagram stories, calling on audiences to sign a letter to ministers saying they support a change in the law. This was also accompanied by a mobile billboard featuring a chilling ransom note, taken by McDermott, a victim of image-based abuse herself, to Parliament.

Lisa King, Director of Communications and External Relations at Refuge, explained: “AMV BBDO’s idea to draw comparisons with traditional ransom notes really brings home the idea that the law must change, and we’re calling on the government to act now and help protect women and girls from this form of ever-increasing pernicious abuse.”

By contextualising the problem in the form of a modern day ransom note, the campaign powerfully examines the gap left by the law. Using real stories and words, the campaign calls on the public and ministers to pledge to protect victims from this kind of abuse. A creative approach which underlines the power of influencers such as McDermott as a force for positive change.