According to recent calculations by the YWCA, for every NHL concussion, it’s estimated that more than 7,000 women in Canada suffer the same injury as a result of violence by an intimate partner. Take a moment to let that sink in. There are 5.8-6.1 concussions per 100 games in that league, and this statistic only applies to a single country. In short, it’s a serious issue which, traditionally, has not been spoken about nearly enough.
To change this, YWCA Metro Vancvouer called on creative agency partners Rethink to spark a discussion. However, rather than just lead off with the prompt that intimate partner-based violence is common – which might not leave a lasting impression – the two needed to reframe it in a memorable fashion. To this end, former NHL professional player Trevor Linden was brought on board to deliver a PSA that, along with hockey-oriented sound design, sounded a lot like him sharing his personal experience of dealing with concussions… Until it was revealed that it was never his story to begin with.