psas

‘The Dress’ Has Been Repurposed As a Domestic-Violence PSA

Photo: Salvation Army South Africa

A week after debate over the color of a dress became the most baffling internet meme of our time, the garment in question has been repurposed as the subject of a domestic violence PSA. This morning, the Salvation Army’s South African branch released an ad in The Cape Times and on Twitter featuring a visibly bruised woman wearing #thedress in its white-and-gold incarnation, with text reading: “Why is it so hard to see black and blue?”

The PSA continues: “The only illusion is if you think it was her choice. One in 6 women are victims of abuse. Stop abuse against women.” While it may not break the internet, the ad does seem to have successfully co-opted “the Dress” hashtag on Twitter. Though, as Anna Merlan points out for Jezebel, it’s unclear exactly what, besides a viral image, the ad aims to accomplish — though the poster does list a hotline for victims and donations, the print is practically too small to read.

New Domestic-Violence PSA Features ‘the Dress’