Rocket Licensing has collaborated with Engine Creative and Women’s Aid for a pro bono marketing campaign using iconic illustration brand, Love Is…
The brief for the artwork was to disrupt people’s expectations of Valentine’s Day, and educate consumers on the signs of unhealthy relationships and coercive control, twisting the instantly recognised ‘Love Is…’ illustrations into a ‘Love is Not…’ message.
The Digital Out of Home (DOOH) and social media initiative ran nationwide on Valentine’s Day at prominent sites, with some continuing throughout the week, and was also promoted via 43 key influencers’ social media platforms. Throughout the week, the campaign reached 16.5 million impacts.
Rocket Licensing, which manages the UK rights for ‘Love Is…’, worked with global rights owners, J&M Brands, for approval on the artwork used in the collaboration.
Engine’s ‘Love is Not…’ creative is born from the agency’s Truth and Friction creative philosophy, which pits the ‘truth’ against ‘friction’ to tell a story. The truth in this campaign being that many people mistake controlling behaviours for love; while the friction built around subverting the norms of traditional Valentine’s Day imagery.
“We were honoured to work with Women’s Aid on this campaign and use the iconic ‘Love Is…’ illustrations in such an impactful campaign to portray this incredibly important message,” commented Melissa Satterly, brand manager at Rocket Licensing. “The ‘Love Is…’ brand was born from a series of love notes that cartoonist Kim Grove drew for her future husband, and from a place of true love.
“So if they can help people understand the true meaning of what love is and what it isn’t, the origins of the brand are being truly bought to life with this brilliant initiative.”
Engine Creative’s Christopher Ringsell added: “We were honoured to bring the iconic ‘Love Is…’ illustrative brand back this Valentine’s Day, but with a new twist. These cartoons have been adored for decades; by subverting them, we are able to provide a simple way to education audiences about coercive control.”
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