This PSA from Ogilvy Poses as a Makeup Tutorial

While problems with violence against women in India are fairly well-known, one aspect of is not: the use of acid, which is openly for sale in markets in attacks against women. According to Make Love Not Scars, there are 1,000 violent acid attack cases reported every year and 90 percent of the victims are women. So Ogilvy & Mather found a provocative way to get the message across for the organization.

The agency recently launched a PSA entitled “Beauty Tips by Reshma: How to get perfect red lips,” which poses as an ordinary makeup tutorial. However, there is a readily apparent catch. Reshma suffers from facial scars, presumably from such an acid attack, and she bravely proceeds through the tutorial, which seems like just another video about makeup application until the reveal. She delivers that reveal perfectly, saying, “You’ll find red lipstick easily in the market…just like concentrated acid. This is the reason why, everyday a girl becomes a victim of an acid attack.” Reshma calls on viewers to sign a petition to enforce a ban on the open sale of acid by clicking a link. It’s an evocative approach, far more powerful, attention-grabbing and memorable than a straightforward presentation of the problem. By lumping in the problem with the purchase of lipstick, it also strongly highlights how easy it is to procure concentrated acid in the country, which perfectly precedes the call to action. There’s also a second spot from the agency, entitled “How to apply eyeliner” (featured below).