Child Abuse Ad Uses Lenticular Tech to Deliver Hidden Message

Spanish foundation, Aid to Children and Adolescents at Risk (ANAR), has joined forces with ad agency, the Grey Group Spain, to produce an innovative campaign aimed at the prevention of child abuse.

The savvy ad, which is up on the streets of Spain displays two messages, one that is only visible to children and the other to adults.

Using a special kind of printing called lenticular printing – which is also used for 3D displays – the images of the ad are based on the angle that they are viewed from.

To adults, the ad will appear with an image of a normal, though seemingly sad young boy with a simple but powerful message, “Sometimes child abuse is only visible to the child suffering it.”

To children however, or those who are below 4 feet 5 inches in height, they will be able to see an image of a child who has been beaten and bruised. The message is a lot more direct and provides heartfelt instructions, “If somebody hurts you, phone us and we’ll help you,” along with the foundation’s phone number.

While reaction to the ad has been mostly positive, there are some critics who are questioning its overall effectiveness.

“The ad is meant to empower small children who are being abused but will they know that they are getting a different message from the adult? Will they assume their abuser can also see the message and therefore be too scared to reach out?” says a spokesperson from a New York ad agency.

Grey Group Spain has released a YouTube video explaining the ad, which has received over 3 million views. Some commenters wonder whether this may also negatively impact the effectiveness of the ad.

“It’s a fantastic use of technology but by putting the video out for everyone to see, the secret is out to everyone. If an abuser knows about the ad, they could potentially avoid walking passed it so the child has no engagement with it and can’t reach out for help ,” says the spokesperson.