This Campaign Hijacks Free Wi-Fi to Highlight Domestic Abuse

A U.K. charity is reeling in its audience by offering a free Wi-Fi connection -- but when users connect they are instead confronted by what looks like a shocking Facetime call.

The "Signal for Help" project, conceived by JWT London for London charity Bede House, works by offering an unlocked signal "Free_Public_Wi-Fi." But when they connect, instead of a login page, the user is served a short film of a woman pleading for help before being cut off by an abusive partner who discovers her using her phone. A statistic then says: "Only 16% of suspected domestic abuse is reported to the police."

As the film ends the user is given the opportunity to save the non-emergency police number 101 to their phone so if they are ever concerned about domestic abuse they have the number to call.

JWT London creatives Will Wright and James Lucking created the router that holds the film and phone number. The pair travelled around the country specifically targeting towns and cities which have the highest reported incidents of domestic abuse and plugged the router in at high footfall areas.

Lucas Peon, executive creative director of J. Walter Thompson London, said in a statement: "Using free Wi-Fi as the hook allowed us to unexpectedly deliver the message and gave us the ability to be targeted in our approach. The film feel is purposely disruptive and personal which suits the mobile format and motivates viewers to save the number to their contacts."