RAINN – ”The Most Dangerous Sound is Silence”

Lucas Chu: Copywriter, Art Director

Problem: Survivors of sexual violence often remain silent out of fear, shame, or disbelief, allowing abuse cycles to continue unchecked.

Insight: Abusers count on silence. It protects them. It keeps them in power. Every unspoken story gives them more control.

Solution: Use sound—or the absence of it—to show how silence enables abuse, and how breaking silence shifts the power.

A person with a black eye and bruised face covering their mouth with their hand that has the word 'Silence' written on it.
Text in white and gray reads, 'Find a way or fade.'
Person holding up their hand with three fingers raised, eyes closed in the background.

Print/Display Ad – "The Words That Disappear"

Visual:

A black poster with stark white text that starts intact but slowly fades, distorts, and fragments toward the bottom. Instead of a random glitch effect, certain words cut off mid-sentence, visually mirroring voices being silenced before they can finish speaking.

Headline:

"The Most Dangerous Sound Isn’t Noise. It’s Silence."

Body Copy:

"Every 68 seconds, someone in the U.S. is assaulted." "But 63% of survivors never report it."

Below the statistic, additional sentences begin to fade, breaking off piece by piece:

"Help me..." "It happened to me..." "Please listen..." "I'm scared..."

By the last line, the words are almost unreadable, reinforcing how silence allows voices to vanish.

CTA:

"If you need someone to listen, RAINN is here. Call or text anytime."

OOH Ad – "Silence Isn’t Accidental. It’s Enforced."

Visual:

A giant mute button hovering above a screaming face, frozen mid-yell. The mute button is pulsing, as if being pressed repeatedly, reinforcing the idea that silence is actively forced upon survivors.

Headline:

"Silence isn’t accidental. It’s enforced."

Body Copy:

Predators rely on fear, shame, and disbelief to keep survivors quiet. But telling even one person can change everything. RAINN is here to help.

CTA:

"Speak up. Break the silence. Reach out to RAINN today."

Video Ad – "Silence Breaks. Change Begins."

Concept:

A survivor tries to speak—but their words glitch into static until others start speaking, amplifying their voice.

Scene One: A Survivor Speaking in a Dark Room

Visual: A young woman sits alone, lips moving, but no sound comes out. The subtitles appear on the screen.

"It happened to me..."

Suddenly—her words glitch, flickering between static distortion and silence.

Scene Two: Voices Begin to Join In

Visual: A second voice enters—the static clears just for a second.

"It happened to me too."

More voices pile in, each layering over the last, until the silence is completely shattered.

Final Scene: Darkness Turns to Light

Visual: The screen shifts from black to white, revealing clear, bold text:

"When silence breaks, change begins."

CTA:

"If you need someone to listen, RAINN is here. Call or text anytime."

Experiential Activation – “Silence is the Loudest Sound”

Concept:

A sound-based interactive installation in public spaces, forcing people to experience the discomfort of silence in a crisis.

Execution:

1. The "Muted Room" Installation

  • A pitch-black booth where visitors hear a survivor’s voice—but it keeps cutting in and out, making it impossible to hear the full story.

  • Frustration builds, and a screen outside reads: "Every moment of silence is another voice unheard."

  • To "unmute" the story, participants must speak into a microphone, which restores the audio—reinforcing that every voice makes a difference.

2. Live Projection – "The Voices Reveal"

  • A hidden digital screen in public spaces slowly reveals survivor stories, but only as more people say "I believe you" aloud into a microphone.

  • Each spoken phrase unlocks more sentences, showing how breaking silence shifts the conversation and encourages others to speak up.

  • Final message appears: "Your voice has power. Share this. Support survivors. Donate to RAINN."

3. Social Media Challenge – “Unmute Survivors”

  • People record themselves pressing a mute button—then unmuting it to show solidarity.

  • Participants tag friends to keep the conversation going, encouraging open discussions about survivor support.

  • Hashtag: #UnmuteSurvivors

  • CTA: "Silence is powerful. But so is breaking it. Speak up. Support RAINN."

Mobile & Social Digital Strategy

IG Reels / TikTok Video Concepts

1. "The Silent Story Challenge" (Interactive Trend – 30 sec) Opening Shot: A user tells a personal story—but suddenly, their voice cuts out mid-sentence.

Text Overlay: "Imagine if your voice disappeared when you needed it most."

Final Frame: "Survivors deserve to be heard. Share this. Support RAINN."

2. "POV: You Try to Speak, But Your Words Keep Disappearing" (15–30 sec) Opening Shot: A user speaks directly into the camera. "I need to tell you something..."

Cut To:

  • Their voice glitches out mid-sentence.

  • Every time they try again, the audio distorts more.

Final Frame: "This is what silence does. Let’s change that." CTA: "RAINN listens. Speak up today."

Event & Hashtag Strategy

Hashtags: #UnmuteSurvivors #BreakTheSilence #RAINNListens #EndTheCycle #SurvivorVoicesMatter #VoicesBreakCycles #NoMoreSilence