Allstate’s Purple Purse creates experiential film

This past June, Reel Chicago reported on the Allstate Foundation “Purple Purse” – an initiative aimed at ending domestic violence through financial empowerment – aligning itself with tennis champion and philanthropist, Serena Williams.

Now, Leo Burnett has created a smack-you-in-your-face experiential 2:40-minute piece, titled “Lost Purse,” about what happens when people come face-to-face with abuse, both domestic and financial, which is not really spoken of.

Oops.

It turns out that this experimental film from Burnett actually was released in 2017. The Reel realizes its error. But we also always will recognize great, thought-provoking work from our agencies in Chicago. And that includes this piece that we just noticed.

Domestic and financial abuse of women was relevant in 2017 and even more relevant now after the #Metoo movement.

Nearly eight in 10 Americans (78 percent) are unaware that financial abuse is a form of domestic violence. To address this lack of awareness, The Allstate Foundation launched the short film, “Lost Purse.”

The film provides a glimpse into the life of a domestic violence victim through her lost purse. It shines a light on the role financial abuse plays in keeping women trapped in domestic violence situations and explores how people react when faced with an opportunity to help a victim.

Imagine climbing into a Lyft, you’re going about your business and then you find a purse on the floor. You tell the driver that someone left their belongings, and then the phone suddenly buzzes. It’s a text. You read it and are immediately submerged into a fictional woman’s life – a fictional woman who is being abused. Watch the film, directed by Rival School Pictures’ Andrew Lane:

“Our purpose at Allstate is to help people live their best lives, and that means continuing to raise awareness of domestic violence and empowering survivors to regain their financial independence,” said Vicky Dinges, Allstate’s senior vice president of corporate responsibility. “We are thrilled to welcome Serena, a longtime advocate and role model for so many, to the Purple Purse family.” She added, “Her (Williams) voice will bring new audiences into this critical conversation. Domestic violence won’t go away on its own. We need everyone’s voices – men’s and women’s – to stand up to abusers and speak on behalf of victims because no woman deserves to live in fear.”

The film successfully shows how real people respond when directly confronted with domestic violence and financial abuse. The participants’ reactions illustrate how we, as a society, think, talk and ultimately act when faced with this issue. And quite frankly, gives me hope for us as a people. What would you do in this situation?

Bravo, Burnett – whether it was this year or last.

 
Credits
Advertising Agency: Leo Burnett, USA
   Chief Creative Officer: Britt Nolan
   Executive Creative Directors: Mikal Pittman, Jon Wyville, Dave Loew
   Associate Creative Directors: Donna Foster, Kristen Schwanz
   Head of Production: Veronica Puc

   Composer: Lydia Davies
   Senior Account Executive: Eva Glass

 
Source: MSLGroup, Chicago

 
Contact Colin Costello at colin@reelchicago.com or follow him on Twitter @colincostello10.