Empowering young voices to lead violence reduction.
A young people-focused campaign tackling tough issues with trauma-informed, relatable content, designed to shift attitudes and spark safer choices.
The brief (in brief).
Collaboration sat at the heart of this campaign. We needed to work closely with the West Yorkshire Youth Commission, Leaders Unlocked and the Violence Reduction Partnership to shape our approach. Built on insight from over 1,300 young people, the campaign set out to shift attitudes and encourage safer behaviours around issues like violence against women and girls, gang violence and rehabilitation. The challenge was to engage 14–25 year olds with relatable messaging and content, while also reaching parents, carers and educators. Success was measured across both paid and organic channels.
Our approach.
From the start, we knew this campaign had to do more than just share generic information. It needed to cut-through and engage our key audience… it had to give young people a voice. By working directly with them, we kept the creative direction authentic and grounded in real insight gathered from the West Yorkshire Youth Commission. The topics were wide-ranging, but we focused the story to keep it clear and powerful. The result was the concept “I took a seat for…”, turning a simple action into a strong symbol of solidarity. We wanted to create a movement that gave young people a way to show support for their peers and take a stand against violence in their communities.
The important stuff.
The campaign gave a voice to young people across West Yorkshire, empowering them to own the narrative and inspire their peers to think differently, speak up, and take action.
lived experience stories told
increase in views on reporting to an adult or authority
increase in knowledge of image-based abuse consequences
impressionism, with strong click-through & web conversions
The campaign was rolled out across multiple channels including paid and organic social media, a dedicated website, printed materials, and PR activity. Each touchpoint was designed to be emotionally engaging, visually consistent, and tailored to young people’s lived experiences — enabling a campaign that felt not only relevant but owned by its audience.
Real voices, real impact.
Lived experience was central to the campaign. We created a series of short-form videos featuring young people, survivors, and allies sharing honest, powerful stories about issues like knife crime and violence against women and girls.
These personal testimonies built trust and emotional connection, making the campaign relatable and resonant. Shared across TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat, the content drove high engagement and peer-to-peer reach — positioning the message as something young people could see themselves in, not just be told.
The videos also lived on the campaign website, offering a deeper space for reflection, solidarity and action.
“Even now, it sticks with me. It showed me how quickly things can change and how real violence is.”
Caleb
Youth Commission Member (based on real experience)
