In a single shot we slowly travel down a typical English street celebrating the World Cup. It’s almost dark but we can see every house is adorned with red and white England flags. An atmospheric track begins along with the sound of an excited commentator. The glow from the windows draws us to each home, we see people celebrate inside. As we round the corner onto the final house, the music drastically changes, becoming ominous. We reveal the largest England flag draped across the entire home. Bold and centre in the flag are 3 words. Instead of it saying, “It’s Coming Home”, it says “He’s Coming Home”. There’s no celebration in this house. We cut to black and a title appears, ‘1.6 million women need your support too’ as we hear the sound of keys going into the door. We end on the “Women’s Aid” logo and support info.

Domestic abuse cases rise by up to 38% during major football events. So for 1.6 million women living with domestic abuse in the UK, the World Cup is a time of fear not celebration. And 2022 saw the first ever winter tournament. This was significant because the cold weather and dark nights meant more abusers would be at home rather than the pub, posing an even greater risk to women. Women’s Aid, a small domestic abuse charity, needed the entire nation to support these women. With no budget and no media spend, they needed an idea to cut through, something that would resonate specifically with an English audience, to get the entire nation talking & sharing the vital support information to help the women at risk.

Despite no media spend the campaign went viral. It was watched 23 million times on TikTok alone. 1 in 8 views about the England World Cup on TikTok was for our campaign. Every major news outlet picked it up, generating a combined reach of 222 million. The British Home Office, police authorities and policy makers shared it. It drove a 17% increase in traffic to the Women’s Aid Support Page and 44% increase to the Donate page. Social channels saw a 4,000 follower boost since launch and an organic reach of over 250K. It has solidified Women’s Aid as an authority on domestic abuse and football. They are now asked to comment when the issue appears in the news. They are currently in conversations with the PFA and FA, and have been invited to visit clubs to educate on their message – providing opportunities for tangible changes to be made.

‘He’s Coming Home’ plays on ‘It’s Coming Home’ - England’s beloved football chant during international tournaments. Originally a hit song, the phrase is now an expression of hope that England will win and bring the trophy home to football's country of origin. Hence, "It's coming home”. For 30 years it’s been sung in stadiums and painted across the iconic red & white English flag in support of the team. Deeply rooted in British culture, it is synonymous with English football so by changing one word, from “It’s” to “He’s”, everyone in England will understand its chilling and powerful new meaning.

With the tournament being held in the winter for the first time the film was launched after the second group game. So as people made their way home in the dark, they got our timely message giving it even more impact and context.