The “Till Death Do Us Part” campaign, launched by the Autonomous Women’s Center and McCann Belgrade, a member of AMA Group, won a Bronze award in the Non-profit category at this year’s Effie Awards Serbia. The project was also supported by the agencies Two Rivers, UM Belgrade and NN Media.
The project brought together women’s organisations from Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Slovenia, Montenegro, Bulgaria and Albania around a shared message that femicide is not an isolated act, but the final outcome of violence that often lasts for years and leaves clear warning signs.
The campaign opened space for a conversation about what most often goes unnoticed before femicide: early signs of violence, the role of the community and support for women trying to leave abusive relationships.
“It was important for us to speak about femicide openly, powerfully and without softening a topic that must leave no room for indifference. That is why we chose a dramatic tone, believing that only a message capable of stopping us can also move us to act. We are honoured to have realised this project with the Autonomous Women’s Center and to be winning an Effie together for the second year in a row. This award confirms for us that creativity has power when it starts conversations, awakens responsibility and encourages people to react,” said Jana Savić Rastovac, Creative Director at McCann Belgrade.
The central element of the campaign was a black wedding dress, a symbol that challenges traditional associations with marriage and shared life. Designers from each participating country created one black wedding dress, transforming a symbol of love and new beginnings into a warning about the most severe form of intimate partner violence.
“This recognition is especially important to us because it confirms how necessary it is to speak about femicide openly and responsibly. Through this campaign, we wanted to show that femicide is not a sudden tragedy, but most often the final act of violence whose warning signs could have been recognised by those around it. The black wedding dress was therefore not a provocation, but a way of drawing attention to a reality in which women are most often killed by a current or former partner. Our message remains the same: violence must not remain a private matter, and the support of the community can be crucial for a woman trying to leave it,” emphasized Vanja Macanović of the Autonomous Women’s Center.
The Bronze Effie award further confirmed the significance of a campaign that succeeded in placing the issue of femicide prevention at the centre of public discussion and reminding the region of the importance of recognising violence in time and responding before it is too late.
