Case Study:

The Affirmative Power of Abortion

We worked with a partner on the frontline of the abortion access movement to change the narrative and get people to take action.

Project brief

What was the assignment?

Our client, an organization that wishes to remain anonymous, enlisted us to help craft a series of call-to-action videos about abortion, as part of a research initiative to help grass-roots organizations on the ground. The mission was to:

a) reframe the narrative about abortion (even among those who support access), from one of sadness/last resort, to one of affirmation and care, and

b) design the videos in such a way that A/B testing would reveal the most effective core messaging in getting viewers to take action.

How was this project a success?

Not only was our client blown away by the creative results (we’re told there wasn’t a dry eye in the house), but the videos performed exceptionally well during testing, especially with key demographics of women, people under 35, and people of color. None of the videos performed badly, and national groups such as Women's March have now adopted the messaging we developed into their abortion-related campaigns.

What were the clients’ needs, and challenges & how we met them?

Our client had been looking for a team that truly aligned with their values and understood the importance of centering those most impacted by gender discrimination (e.g. Black and brown women, non-binary and trans folks, and fat femmes). Since these same values and priorities are deeply ingrained in our mission and operations, the result was a seamless collaboration and one very happy client.

The finals

Abortion Access Campaign #2 - "Thank You"

Abortion Access Campaign #1: "100 Years"

Abortion Access Campaign #3

Abortion Access Campaign #4

Abortion Access Campaign #2 - "Thank You"

Abortion Access Campaign #1: "100 Years"

Client Testimonial

“One of my favorite parts of working with Mala Forever is that I really came to them with a few sentences in mind about each of these four videos that I wanted to create, and they were able to turn those couple of sentences into some of the most powerful and emotional and personal videos and stories that I’ve seen.

The whole process of working with Mala Forever was so collaborative. I felt not only did they hear the ideas that I was coming to them with, but then they would come back to me with scripts, and casting, and visuals that really aligned with what I wanted even if I didn’t know how exactly to say it. And then another great thing about working with Mala Forever is that they are unapologetically feminist and I saw that in the work they produced around the affirmative value of abortion.

I would work with Mala Forever again in a heartbeat. I think now that I’ve worked with a feminist video production company, my desire to work with anyone else is very low. So, very thankful for the work that Mala Forever did, just collaborative, feminist, in your face and also just effective.”

— Natalie Green, abortion access advocate

Services provided

We served as a one-stop shop for all aspects of making this video series, from the creative pitch to the final delivery. This type of collaboration provides a seamless experience for our client by allowing them to focus on the big picture without worrying about the nitty gritty.

Creative.

Our client had a set of core messages that needed to be turned into engaging videos. We presented multiple possibilities for a creative approach, and landed on a scripted format with a spokesperson speaking directly to the viewer, with accompanying b-roll and archival visuals.

Pre-Production.

Key aspects of pre-production were casting, hiring crew, and finding locations. In light of the pandemic, we did a fully remote talent search, designed creative to accommodate outdoor locations, and prioritized the safety and well-being of our cast and crew.

Production.

Since all the details of production had been approved and embraced by our client, production was smooth like butter. We were able to send updates to our client remotely which gave further opportunities for client input.

Both in front and behind the camera, we worked with an extremely talented cast and crew that happened to be an all women, femme, and non-binary team. As our first pandemic-era production, implementing safety protocols such as using only outdoor filming locations, strict masking and a skeleton crew were of the utmost priority, in addition to paying competitive market rates for labor.

Post-Production.

Thanks to a smooth creative, pre-production and production process, post-production was a breeze. Our client didn’t even have notes on the 2nd cut because they were so happy with what they were seeing and how we brought the concepts to life.