Text Messages Tell Sinister Story in NFL's Anti-Domestic Violence Super Bowl Ad

The NFL -- which was under fire last year for how it handled player domestic violence cases -- has once again donated airtime in the Super Bowl for an anti-domestic violence public service announcement. The 30-second ad, "Text Talk" was created by Grey New York. It shows a text conversation between friends. One woman is questioned about her well-being and the ad ends ominously with the thought bubble icon, suggesting something has gone wrong. The spot will run in the third quarter on behalf of No More, an organization formed in 2013 to combat domestic violence and sexual assault. It is the same group that benefited from last year's ad, which depicted a woman calling 911 and pretending to order a pizza as she covertly alerts the operator that her abuser is in her house. Grey is the NFL's lead agency and also handled last year's No More ad. The NFL donated airtime and production costs for the spot, according to a statement from No More. "This PSA captures how most young people -- and many others -- use texting to communicate and how sometimes saying a little says a lot," No More director Virginia Witt said in the statement. "Learning more can empower people to have potentially life-saving conversations and reach out for help. We hope this will be one more step toward the culture change we are seeking around domestic violence and sexual assault." The spot calls for viewers to to "TEXT 'NO MORE' TO 94543." For a limited time people who opt into the text program will receive "action-oriented messages educating them on common signs of abuse and steps they can take to help victims of domestic violence and/or sexual assault," according to the statement. The NFL will run a 60-second ad in the game that has a much more lighthearted tone. The spot is called "Super Bowl Babies Choir," and features what the league calls "the biggest collection of Super Bowl Babies: fans born in winning cities approximately nine months after the game." This article also appears on Adage.com.

Text Messages Tell Sinister Story in NFL's Anti-Domestic Violence Super Bowl Ad

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