Our poster campaign is back – this time with stronger messaging

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Left: Composite illustration for the Pat Cronin Foundation, with words Don’t let them be a dick. Only cowards throw punches. Right: Composite illustration for the Pat Cronin Foundation, with words Walking away takes balls. Only cowards throw punches.
Our new poster campaign designs. Left: ‘Don’t let them be a dick’ poster. Right: ‘Walking away takes balls’ poster.

Our poster campaign is back – this time with stronger messaging.

Launched in around 160 licensed venues throughout Victoria, “Walking away takes balls. Only cowards throw punches” and “Don’t let them be a dick. Only cowards throw punches” will be prominently displayed in bathrooms of hotels, bars, night sports and sports venues throughout the busy festive season and into next year.    

Designed to connect with a younger adult audience, the posters are aimed at getting people talking about appropriate ways to control emotions such as anger and handle conflict.

Foundation Director Matt Cronin unpacks the objectives of the campaign in this Q and A:

Q: You’ve gone with some strong language. Why’s that?

A:   It’s about connecting with 18 to 30-year-olds, who sadly are most at risk of violent assault in social settings.

The brief to our advertising agency, Convenience Advertising, was to get young people talking about the need to control emotions such as anger and deal with conflict without resorting to violence.

We believe the tone and language are appropriate to the setting – and we need it create an immediate impression. That’s not such an easy task when taking on some entrenched but long outmoded views about masculinity and aggression.   

Above all, it needs to achieve one very important objective – and that’s to help tackle the 20,000 plus hospitalisations that occur in Australia each year due to physical assault.

A television crew films a man and woman standing in front of a microphone
Matt and Robyn Cronin launch the Foundation’s new poster campaign with television news coverage.

What is the message you’re trying to convey with this campaign?

A:  It’s actually a very simple message – and that’s why we’ve gone with very honest language. If you’re out in public and you find yourself in a confrontational situation, don’t be a “dick”!

It’s about challenging the outdated view of violence as a solution to problems, and that one split second of anger and aggression is just not worth the lifelong consequences it can inflict.

Q: Is there any reason for launching the campaign just ahead of Christmas?

A: We’ve chosen this time of the year – in the lead-up to the holiday season – to launch the campaign as alcohol, unfortunately, is a key component of the statistics around violence. I’d like to stress however we’re not against alcohol or having a good time – but we are against the use of violence.

Q: Is there any particular purpose to displaying the posters in bathrooms?

A:  Their location – behind cubicle doors, beside hand dryers, next to mirrors and at the entrance, is perfect. The aim is to capture attention of individuals in a quiet moment away from other people with an on-the-spot reminder that violence is never the way to handle conflict.  

The engagement figures around this form of marketing are quite astonishing. Across all venues we’re talking about messages potentially being seen by a total of around 250,000 people each week. 

Q: What has the feedback been like so far?

A: So far it has been very positive.

Convenience Advertisinghas conducted a small sample testing, after a lot of hard work and discussion about the concepts.

We’re encouraging everyone to engage with us on this.

Let us know what you think

Please leave us your feedback on our new poster designs by contacting us here. To keep up to date with what else we’re doing, check out our Facebook page. To book a Be Wise presentation, click here or email us at info@patcroninfoundation.org.au

When you’re ready, there are 3 ways we can help you…

Join the 2000 teachers who have already been equipped with the tools for helping students manage anger and conflict.

Be Wise Presentations: Led by expert presenters, our Be Wise Presentations will engage young people and empower them to make positive changes as we explore the impacts of conflict and violence.

Be Wise Violence Prevention eLearning for High Schools: explores risks, choices and consequences, using real stories and personal reflection on how to manage anger and navigate social conflict.

Be Wise Story Book Lesson Plans for Primary Schools: engaging storybooks and teacher-led lesson plans to help foster safety and respect in the playground.

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