Mayor of London campaign tells men ‘Say Maaate to a Mate’ to stamp out misogyny
Sadiq Khan and Ogilvy UK have teamed up for a second campaign urging men to call out misogyny.
The Mayor of London has issued an interactive film which pushes viewers to push a ‘mate’ button in a bid to encourage men to understand and challenge misogynistic behaviour towards women.
Sadiq Khan’s offices partnered with Ogilvy UK on the project which has 270 possible narratives depending on at what point the viewer clicks the ‘mate’ button, which resembles the ‘skip ad’.
The film is part of the ‘Say Maaate to a mate’ campaign which spans broadcast TV, posters, billboards, and social and influencer marketing.
It follows the 2022 Mayor of London and Ogilvy UK campaign which told men to ‘have a word’ to call out misogyny. The phrase used to challenge has been updated for the 2023 campaign based on behavioural insight. Both campaigns are part of Khan’s long-term ambition to tackle violence against women in London.
The campaign has some high-profile support through the comedian Romesh Ranganathan, social media activist Max Selwood and Top Boy director Koby Adom.
Ogilvy UK’s Consulting’s Behavioural Science Practice division is behind the insights that drove the creative decisions after spending time observing men in male-dominated spaces, with senior creatives Dave Anderson and Ian Brassett, and executive creative directors Nicola Wood and Andy Forrest leading the work.
"We found that men don’t want to shame or ostracise their mates, they want to call them out with respect and levity," said consultant, David Fanner, on the strategy. "This insight sits at the heart of our ‘say Maaate’ approach which we are confident will empower men to challenge inappropriate behaviour in an effective way.”