BBH & Frances Create Music Video for Refuge

BBH London has launched a ground-breaking new campaign for domestic violence charity Refuge which aligns itself with critically acclaimed singer-songwriter Frances.

The campaign, which takes the form of Frances's new music video, seeks to raise awareness of domestic violence and the support available to victims from Refuge.

The animated promo, directed by animation collective, Le Cube, through international production firm Not To Scale, is released today as the official music video to Frances’ single Grow, which is a moving ballad about supporting a friend. Hollywood animation director, Clay Kaytis, worked as a creative consultant on the project. Kaytis, who directed The Angry Birds Movie, is a former head of animation at Disney who worked on hit films including Frozen and Tangled.

Made with the support of Globe, Universal Music UK’s Creative & Commercial Partnerships division, the video is a major prevention initiative that enables Refuge, without any media spend, to use an unexpected channel to let young women know they’re not alone.

The film depicts a woman going about her daily life; except that due to the abuse she is experiencing, she becomes visibly more isolated and alone. One day, she meets a character representing Refuge, who recognises and understands what she is going through and supports her to escape the abuse and rebuild her life. The aim of the music video is to ensure women who experience domestic violence realise they are not alone and that Refuge can support them. 

The female character is based on a real person, Melanie Clarke [below], a Refuge client who benefited from the charity’s expert support following more than decade of physical and psychological abuse at the hands of her ex-partner, whom she met when she was 14.

“Grow is a beautiful, bittersweet ballad, and the lyrics chime perfectly with the more positive message we want to put out there about life after domestic violence; that there are people who can see what you’re going through and things can get better," explains George Hackforth-Jones, creative director at BBH London.  

Frances is one of the country’s most talented young musicians and her much anticipated debut album, Thing’s I’ve Never Said, features Grow and will be released on Friday March 17. “I feel so honoured to be a part of this campaign for Refuge," she says. "I want nothing more than to give something back with my music, and I hope that this incredibly important video which features my song will resonate with people all over the world, and especially to women who are experiencing domestic violence and needing help as we speak. Refuge is here for them - we want people to realise they are not alone.”