Victim Services Toronto is scaling its “Ask for Angela” initiative across the city with a new multi-channel campaign developed in partnership with 72andSunny Toronto.
The expansion introduces the program’s first out-of-home effort alongside a series of PSA films, designed not just to raise awareness of gender-based violence but to provide clear, discreet pathways to support.
Originally launched in the GTA in 2023, “Ask for Angela” allows individuals experiencing unsafe situations to signal for help using a simple code phrase. Now, the initiative is evolving into a broader, citywide infrastructure, directly embedding access to support into everyday environments.
The new OOH campaign leans into that discretion, disguising messaging within ads for products like makeup, skincare, and menstrual care. QR codes and mobile access points offer an added layer of privacy, connecting users to immediate resources.
The program has already been integrated into more than 225 retail locations through a partnership with Loblaw Companies Limited, and thousands of frontline workers have been trained to recognize the code phrase and respond. That network is now expanding significantly, with new partners across hospitality, healthcare, transit, and tourism, including major locations like hotels, medical centers, and public services.
At the same time, a new PSA series brings attention to the often invisible realities of people experiencing violence. Rather than dramatizing external events, the film focuses on internal moments, capturing the thoughts and rationalizations that can keep individuals from seeking help. Watch below:
Together, the campaign is designed as a system: awareness paired with action. The emotional storytelling draws people in, while the infrastructure ensures there’s a clear next step.
“This next phase is about making support more visible, more accessible, and more embedded in the everyday places people already go,” said Carly Kalish, CEO of Victim Services Toronto.
With support from Ontario’s Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence, the initiative aims to train an additional 8,000 frontline staff while expanding its footprint across high-traffic locations. A new mobile-first partner map will further extend access, allowing users to locate nearby safe spaces or connect directly with support services in real time.
The campaign will roll out across social, cinema, broadcast, and out-of-home placements throughout Toronto, reinforcing a simple but critical idea: help should be as accessible as the places people already go.
CREDITS:
BRAND: Victim Services Toronto
- Carly Kalish – Chief Executive Officer
- Erin Schachter – Director of Development Strategic Partnerships
- Jasminder Sekhon – Director of Community Management, EDI & Policy
- Julia Cuasto – Project Manager
AGENCY: 72andSunny Toronto
- Glen D’Souza – Head of Creative
- Kate Thorneloe – Creative Director
- Amyna Jiwani – Art Director
- Mariia Kul – Copywriter
- Leanne McLellan – Head of Production
- Julien Bissuel – CEO
- Tyler Kawa – Head of Brand
- Kristy Suurna – Brand Director
- Simran Baig – Brand Supervisor
- Jenn Kittmer – Group Strategy Director
- Dee Flores – Sr. Production Artist
- Ava Garciano – Production Artist
- Juliann Azul – Studio Artist
MEDIA AGENCY: Twenty6Two
- David Johnston – Media Director
- Thomas Mendler – Head of Digital
- Will McKay – Digital Media Planner & Buyer
PRODUCTION COMPANY: Fela
- Taj Critchlow – Founder | Executive Producer
- Fuliane Petikyan – Executive Producer
- Dean Rosen – Managing Partner | Executive Producer
- Amir Karimi – Head of Production
- Dwight Jantzi – Line Producer
- Mikayla Fasullo – Post Producer
- Jackson Tisi – Director
- Danyal Niazi – DOP
CASTING: Jesse Grifiths Casting
Jesse Grifiths – Casting Director
Post Production: Cabin
- Zack Herpy – Executive Producer
- Matt Schaff – Editor
- Esy Bardon – Editor
- Jasmine Henry – Senior Producer
- Ollie Nevin – Ass’t Editor
POST: Nimiopere
- Jenna Edwards – Executive Producer
- Nicole Hann – Producer
- Leah Lallich – Editor
- Bianca Bissada – Ass’t Editor
COLOR/VFX: Artjail Toronto
- Caitlin Schooley-Groneveldt – Executive Producer
- Alison Kinnear – Senior Producer
- Clinton Homuth – Colorist
- Austin Tang – Ass’t Colorist
- Sebastian Boros – VFX/Online
- Melany McEachern – VFX/Online
MUSIC & SOUND DESIGN: TA2 Sound + Picture
- Steve Gasden – President | Composer
- Christine Leslie – Partner | Executive Producer
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