timeTo’s anti-harassment Christmas campaign targets bystanders

What would you do if you witnessed a colleague being sexually harassed? Confront the aggravator in the moment? Report the incident later? Nothing at all?

With Christmas office party season approaching, timeTo has launched a new ad campaign asking members of the ad industry to consider what action they should take if they witness sexual harassment in the workplace.

Creative agency Lucky Generals has developed a new short film for the campaign – directed by Steve Reeves at Another Film Co – to accompany a new series of ‘Where Do You Draw The Line?’ executions in print and digital formats, based on real examples of harassment from within the industry.

“Sexual harassment is a real and present problem in our industry and the Christmas office party is sadly a high-risk environment for many,” said Helen Calcraft, founding partner at Lucky Generals.

“This year we are focussing on an all-important aspect of sexual harassment – the role of bystander. On so many occasions, sleazy and bullying behaviour is witnessed by others who feel disempowered and even afraid to intervene.

“We want to encourage people who observe bad behaviour or an abuse of power, to find someone in their company that they trust and make them aware of the situation.”

The updated campaign comes after industry think tank Credos found that 70% of sexual harassment in adland goes unreported. Kerry Glazer, chair of timeTo, said it “brilliantly” brings into focus the important role bystanders can play in reporting incidents.

“This vital shift in behaviour will be of benefit to all as we make sure the workplaces and social gatherings across UK advertising are safe for all,” she said.

Last month, timeTo launched a new toolkit for its 232 endorsing companies, which it asked them to download and implement within six months.

A new training programme led by the industry’s support organisation, NABS, will also be available by the Q1 next year.

A full list of endorsing companies is available on the timeTo website, where other companies wishing to support the initiative are also able to sign-up.