When Solange's attack on Jay Z was released by TMZ it triggered a massive response on social media and the news. #WhatJayZsaidtoSolange trended worldwide for two days straight, and everyone from Keith Lemon to SNL filmed a spoof.

Violence towards men, already an issue not taken seriously, had become a joke. So, on behalf of the Mankind Initiative, we hijacked the news on social media with a controversial film to expose society’s warped view of domestic violence and gender stereotypes. Using hidden cameras we set up a controlled experiment in a public place to capture the stark difference in people's attitudes towards violence on female and male victims.

The film was created in just five days and released alongside the provocative hashtag #ViolenceIsViolence. We sent a press release and the film to influential bloggers and news channels, who just days beforehand had featured #WhatJayZsaidtoSolange.

Within hours #ViolenceIsViolence provoked international debate, as people began to reconsider their preconceived perceptions of violence against men. The campaign received over 12 million views online and 400,000 social engagements across Twitter and Facebook.

It received coverage by news channels across the world, from Good Morning Britain to Channel 7 Australia. The campaign received press coverage on every continent, including TMZ, Upworthy, The Drum, The Telegraph, The Independent, 24 Arab Emirates, In 2 Life Greece, Metro Netherland, BuzzFeed Worldwide and many more. Donations to Mankind increased by 200% and there was a 13,000% increase in their web traffic. All with £900 and a £0 media budget.

The campaign was conceived, created and released in just 5 days to take advantage of the news cycle. This meant we were able to hijack the news whilst the Solange and JayZ incident was still a hot topic.

We filmed the experiment at lunchtime in a busy square, using hidden cameras in office windows and behind hedges and railings. We used just 2 actors,, while everyone else were real passersbys reacting to a scene they thought was real. We then released the film alongside the provocative hashtag #ViolenceIsViolence and sent the campaign to journalists and bloggers who, just days beforehand, had featured #WhatJayZsaidtoSolange.

Violence is Violence has had over 12 million views online, sparking an international debate on violence and gender equality. We generated 400,000 social engagements across twitter and facebook, as people began to reconsider their attitudes towards violence against men. The story was picked up by national newspapers, TV channels and radio stations across the globe. Suddenly this small charity was propelled into the limelight, with the CEO Mark Brooks being interviewed on TV and radio worldwide. Donations increased by 200% and there was a 13,000% increase in web traffic. All this, with a budget of £900 and £0 media spend.