Despite the upcoming election, with politicians on both sides debating this issue, Schaaf insisted that “Bans Off Our Bodies” is nonpartisan.
“It’s not intended to comment on what’s happening at the state or national level as it relates to political candidates,” she said. “The intention is not to be divisive but to bring people together. Depending on where you are in the country, this moment in time can feel very isolating.”
The campaign emphasizes that those who support reproductive freedom are in the majority. An ABC News/Washington Post poll conducted last year found that 66% of Americans said the mifepristone pill should remain on the market, and 78% said the decision whether to have an abortion should be left to a woman and her doctor rather than regulated by law.
Staying optimistic
Above all, “Bans Off Our Bodies” is meant to be participatory. The team opted for a socially driven, experiential approach with the goal to “create something that anyone can pick up and use,” said Meg Farquhar, the agency’s executive creative director and partner.
Every element of the creative assets, from the fonts to the graphics, was designed to be simple so that other people could easily replicate them and create their own protest ads to share on social media or in-person, Farquhar added.
At Governors Ball in New York on June 7-9, Planned Parenthood will host an area with an 8-foot-tall 3D frame in which people can write their wishes and demands for reproductive freedom and take photos to share on social media.
In New York neighborhoods including the East Village, South Bronx, Bushwick, Astoria and Harlem, Planned Parenthood will set up additional spaces where people can write their demands. There will also be out-of-home ads running in cities including Columbus, Atlanta and Miami.
