After a long year of abuse cases, the NFL is trying to change things up. In 2014, Adrian Peterson allegedly abused his child, and Ray Rice was caught on video allegedly abusing his wife. On top of that, coaches were caught abusing players on the local level, and players were punished for hazings.
These events have caused many to accuse the NFL of encouraging such behavior by not training its players well, as well as promoting such a violent sport. One thing the sports league is doing to diminish this effect is its "No More" campaign.
The campaign (featuring players such as Eli Manning and Jason Witten and former star and current ESPN personality Cris Carter) is supposed to A) combat abuse and B) show that the league will not support such actions. The original ads were directed by "Law & Order SVU's" Mariska Hargitay, who said, "This is tangible. This is a monumental step toward change......If badass NFL heroes are coming forward to talk about these issues, I guarantee you it is going give inspiration and permission to young boys to step up in a new way. Love in a new way, protect in a new way, and to be a man in a new way. That's what's so beautiful, right?"
Watch the ad below:
Now, the NFL is taking a bigger step with the "Move On" campaign by featuring a new ad during the Super Bowl. Adweek describes it as follows:
"The ad below, from Grey New York, discreetly avoids any direct images of violence. Based on an actual phone call, the spot opens with a woman calling 911 to order pizza. The operator asks why she's calling 911 for the delivery before realizing why she can't talk freely. He gets the caller's address and assures her help is on the way, even as the woman continues the ruse, asking for a large pie with half pepperoni and half mushrooms. The camera pans across a house, where it looks like an altercation has occurred, with books strewn about a disheveled rug, a punched-out wall and a broken picture of a woman.
The commercial ends with the line: "When it's hard to talk, it's up to us to listen."
This ad will be seen by over 100 million viewers and will go a long way to helping in the fight against abuse. While "Move on" will be in direct contrast with the humorous and inspirational tone of most ads, it will hopefully leave an impact.
