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.

We hijacked England’s beloved football chant, ‘It’s Coming Home’ & changed one word to give it a powerful new meaning. ‘HE’S COMING HOME’ is seen bold and centre across the iconic red and white England flag. It replicates real flags that real supporters would use to support the English team. We worked in collaboration with artist Corbin Shaw, who’s personal work questions gender and football and also uses large black lettering over the England flag. We leaned into the visual language of football and crafted hand stitched flags with bold messaging that subverted the usual celebratory tone. The scale & simplicity made them unmissable. By taking something every English person would recognise and altering it slightly, this visual subversion of something so iconic to the English, meant they were seen and shared everywhere.

‘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.