This Dramatic Ad Depicts One Woman's 700-Day Quest to Escape Her Domestic Violence Prison

Ad Leads Purple Purse's 2016 'Free to Walk' Campaign

Published On
Jun 14, 2016

Editor's Pick

This dramatic film from The Allstate Foundation's Purple Purse and Leo Burnett recreates the real-life story of Lori, a domestic abuse survivor who fought her way out of her "prison" in an ingenious way. Every time she visited a grocery store, she'd add small amounts of cash to checks she wrote, which she would then take home and stash in a place her abusive husband would never find it -- inside her tampon applicators. Over a period of 700 days, she saved up enough money to leave with her children and file for a divorce.

The film, "America's Largest Prison Break," is the anchor of a the 2016 Purple Purse campaign "#FreetoWalk," for which actress Kerry Washington serves as ambassador.

The Allstate Foundation Purple Purse has devoted more than $50 million to empowering domestic violence victims through financial education and has helped more than 800,000 achieve financial independence.

"Financial abuse is an invisible weapon that's just as effective as a lock and key in controlling victims," said Vicky Dinges, senior vice president, corporate responsibility, Allstate Insurance Company in a statement. "Without financial resources, victims remain trapped in homes that feel more like prisons. Our #FreeToWalk campaign brings financial abuse out of the shadows and helps victims gain access to resources they need to break free and to rebuild their lives."