Anti-Abuse Ad Has Secret Message Only Children Can See (VIDEO)

By Eric Corpus, Thursday, February 27, 2014

Last May, the ANAR Foundation, a Spanish organization devoted to protecting youth, unveiled a sidewalk ad that tells adults, "Sometimes, child abuse is only visible to the child suffering it." It's a reminder that children suffer from the effects of abuse even if you can't see the bruises.

However, when children view the ad from their lower vantage point, a secret message is included – "If somebody hurts you, phone us and we'll help you" – along with a short hotline number. The hidden text is meant to inform children who may be traveling with their abuser that there is a way to get help.

To produce the effect, the ad uses a Lenticular lens, which reflects light differently depending on the angle it's viewed. It's a common effect that you've probably seen in greeting cards or children's books. Look at it from one side, you get one image. Angle to the other side, another image appears. The ad just does it vertically, so people shorter than 4'5 can see the secret message.