The NFL has donated air time during Super Bowl Sunday in order to tackle the topic of domestic violence.
The NFL has decided they want to do the right thing and contribute to the NO MORE project and finance the PSA. This is designed to raise awareness against domestic violence as well as sexual assault. NO MORE has announced on their YouTube page that this is the first time they have been able to address topics during the game.
A one-minute-long version of the PSA features a woman dialing 911 and saying she needs a pizza delivered because she’s speaking in code. Across the screen, effects from a domestic violence incident are shown. The PSA then says that it’s up to them to listen when it’s hard to talk. A 30-second cut of the PSA will broadcast during the Super Bowl’s first quarter.
The NFL has recently come under attack for the way they have handled domestic violence issues. The Former Ravens Running Back, Ray Rice, is one of the most recent and notable as there was surveillance that showed him knocking his fiancée (now wife) unconscious inside of an Atlantic City casino elevator.
Approximately 20 people per minute become victims of physical violence in the United States. It is important for everyone to know that they need to report such acts of physical violence when they actually occur. However, many of those who are accused of such acts are innocent. This means that everyone deserves a fair trial before being publicly condemned.
Investigations took place as to how the NFL handled the Ray Rice investigation. It was acknowledged that the original probe was not sufficient, though the footage from the elevator had not been in the league’s possession prior to being published by TMZ.
The air time and production leg work for the PSA were donated by the NFL and being a 30-second spot, it is valued at $4.5 million. The league is not taking any credit for the PSA and it is not being done, in any blatant way, to promote the brand. As Dawn Hudson, the chief marketing officer for the NFL said, if it was being done to promote the brand, the NFL logo would have been placed on the PSA, which it was not.
NO MORE has run a series of ads throughout the regular NFL season and featured several players, including Eli Manning, the quarterback for the New York Giants.
An average day results in more than 20,000 phone calls to domestic violence hotlines around the country. The PSA should provide people with more information about how they should take action and not allow domestic violence to continue to occur. The PSA will be watched by millions around the country on February 1.
Those facing charges for domestic abuse in Southern California may be best served by speaking with a defense attorney as soon as possible. Domestic violence defendants in Orange, Riverside, Los Angeles, and San Diego Counties can obtain a free case evaluation by calling today.