Stepping Stone, a Halifax-based non-profit organization that provides support for people in the sex trade, has launched an awareness campaign to fight the stigma associated with sex work.
The campaign launched last month to coincide with the International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers. It consists of print, transit and poster executions emphasizing that sex workers should not be defined solely by their trade.
One print ad, for example, shows a smiling young man next to copy that reads, “At my wedding, my younger hooker gave the funniest speech.”
Underneath this image is the Stepping Stone logo, web address and the additional copy, “Sex workers are brothers too.”
Creative was developed on a pro bono basis by Halifax agency Extreme Group. The initiative represents the first time the firm has created an awareness campaign for Stepping Stone, although it previously worked on the organization’s logo.
“Sex workers obviously have a pretty stereotypical perception [in the public],” said Shawn King, chief creative officer at Extreme Group. “Part of the mandate for [Stepping Stone] is to have people see sex workers as human and treat them accordingly.”
The ads will run in the Halifax area, including print insertions in the free alternative weekly The Coast, for the next few weeks.
