YSL Beauty launches Don’t Call It Love film as part of anti-abuse campaign

YSL Beauty has unveiled a new global campaign, Don’t Call It Love, part of its Abuse Is Not Love programme.

It portrays a “seemingly idyllic Parisian romance where the warning signs of abuse are hidden in plain sight to educate about domestic violence”. 

Through the launch, the brand “invites a collective reflection on how it can contribute to healthier representations of love and create narratives that do not perpetrate toxic relationship norms”.

It comes as intimate partner violence (IPV) is the most common form of violence against women, affecting around 736 million women and girls globally with the behaviour linked to it “wrongly justified as love”. 

Since the launch of the Abuse Is Not Love programme in 2020, YSL Beauty has donated over €5.2 million to local NGO-partners and more than 1.3 million people have been trained or supported across 25+ markets.

The programme is also said to have “made significant strides in educating young people about IPV and empowering grassroots organisations on a global scale”.

The company said the campaign “cleverly subverts the timeless and expected codes of luxury advertising”. The people featured give an initial impression “of a magnetic and elegant couple”.

But we’re told that “as the story progresses, a subtle unease begins to creep in. Almost imperceptibly, warning signs of abuse emerge, woven into the fabric of these seemingly romantic scenes. Viewers are drawn into the narrative, initially captivated by the romance, then subtly unsettled by a growing sense of disquiet”.

The film abruptly halts, with the question: did you see signs of abuse in this film? The narrative then rewinds, “exposing the signs of abuse from each scene, hidden in plain sight”.

YSL said that “media portrayals of toxic relationships often romanticise, trivialise or even glamorise abusive behaviours, impacting young people’s understanding of healthy relationships”.

The campaign was brought to life by Léa Ceheivi, award-winning French film director, known for her collaborations with music titans Justice and luxury brands; Nicolas Loir, the director of photography, best known for his work within the music industry, notably with Blaze and also with luxury brands; and Dr Sara Kuburic, lead film consultant and doctor of psychotherapy, known widely as the Millennial Therapist.