Bruised apples are one of the few things that are universally loathed. But now, they’re being used as a force for good.
A shelter for abused women and children in Canada called Interval House has teamed up with Canadian advertising agency UNION to bring an innovative new awareness activation to grocery stores in Toronto that creatively supports victims of domestic abuse.
Titled “Bruised Fruit,” the initiative takes the quintessential ovular stickers slapped onto produce and has repurposed them to provide information about supportive services, including the phone number for the Interval House 24/7 crisis hotline. These stickers have then been placed onto bruised and overripe apples within a special display so that shoppers can find the help they need at the one place they might finally be away from their abuser — the grocery store.
The campaign is particularly critical during COVID-19, as women had to shelter in place with their abusers throughout the pandemic, resulting in intimate partner violence skyrocketing. Not only have many women quarantined in lockdown with their abusers, but the circumstances of COVID-19 have also made it even more difficult than it already is for victims to reach out for support. Bruised Fruit offers an out-of-the-box solution that women can safely and secretly put directly into their shopping cart.