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Category
Cultural Driver for Good
Annual ID
OS26_CD004G
Background
# The crucial issue of domestic violence in France:
Police records show that, on average, 210,000 women are victims of physical, sexual, and/or psychological violence committed by a spouse each year. However, NGOs estimate that the actual number revolves around one million victims. In 2024 in France, 136 women were killed by their partner, and 773 took their own lives as a result of harassment by their partner.
# The significant lack of resources to help women escape violence:
Public services, the emergency number 3919 for domestic violence, and NGOs are unable to meet the volume of emergency relocation requests. 77% of calls to 3919 (national helpline) mention the need for emergency relocation but there is a shortage of spaces: only 10,185 emergency shelter places are available when an estimated 35,000 are needed.
# The legitimacy of the brand to engage on this issue:
AXA launched in 2023 the global platform "Being a woman shouldn’t be a risk" to address all risks that disproportionately affect women (professional, financial, health-related, etc.). And in France, where AXA is the leading insurance company, AXA has been committed to combating domestic violence for 10 years, with its non-profit ‘AXA Entraide’ and ‘Elle’s Angels’ , its legal division that provides free legal protection to women victims of domestic violence and their children.
Police records show that, on average, 210,000 women are victims of physical, sexual, and/or psychological violence committed by a spouse each year. However, NGOs estimate that the actual number revolves around one million victims. In 2024 in France, 136 women were killed by their partner, and 773 took their own lives as a result of harassment by their partner.
# The significant lack of resources to help women escape violence:
Public services, the emergency number 3919 for domestic violence, and NGOs are unable to meet the volume of emergency relocation requests. 77% of calls to 3919 (national helpline) mention the need for emergency relocation but there is a shortage of spaces: only 10,185 emergency shelter places are available when an estimated 35,000 are needed.
# The legitimacy of the brand to engage on this issue:
AXA launched in 2023 the global platform "Being a woman shouldn’t be a risk" to address all risks that disproportionately affect women (professional, financial, health-related, etc.). And in France, where AXA is the leading insurance company, AXA has been committed to combating domestic violence for 10 years, with its non-profit ‘AXA Entraide’ and ‘Elle’s Angels’ , its legal division that provides free legal protection to women victims of domestic violence and their children.
Creative Idea
Three Words, a life-saving clause in AXA’s home insurance contracts.
In France, every household must have a home insurance contract by law. Such contracts provide emergency relocation when a home becomes uninhabitable in the event of fire or flood, to which AXA adds 3 words: ‘and domestic violence’, to help women escape. When a victim calls the emergency number she is immediately relocated. A driver picks her up and takes her to a safe shelter (secured hotel) together with any children. She also receives free psychological, legal and financial support, to help her find long-term solutions. This clause has been included in all 2.5M AXA home insurance contracts, with retroactive effect.
Three Words changed the way people think about their home insurance, with immediate impact: 121 people supported in the first month (1292 people in the first 10 months), a 321% increase in website traffic in the first month resulting in a 9% uplift in new contracts (steady at +9.1% over the first six months), and 67% consideration (vs. 43% market norm).
In France, every household must have a home insurance contract by law. Such contracts provide emergency relocation when a home becomes uninhabitable in the event of fire or flood, to which AXA adds 3 words: ‘and domestic violence’, to help women escape. When a victim calls the emergency number she is immediately relocated. A driver picks her up and takes her to a safe shelter (secured hotel) together with any children. She also receives free psychological, legal and financial support, to help her find long-term solutions. This clause has been included in all 2.5M AXA home insurance contracts, with retroactive effect.
Three Words changed the way people think about their home insurance, with immediate impact: 121 people supported in the first month (1292 people in the first 10 months), a 321% increase in website traffic in the first month resulting in a 9% uplift in new contracts (steady at +9.1% over the first six months), and 67% consideration (vs. 43% market norm).
Insights & Strategy
In 2023, AXA launched the strategic platform “Being a woman shouldn’t be a risk” to address risks that disproportionately impact women.
Our first strategic focus was domestic violence, a risk that overwhelmingly affects women, as one in five women will experience domestic violence during their lifetime.
Our breakthrough insight came from client research and partnerships with victim associations. We identified a critical place and moment: the home - where 89% of femicides occur - and the moment a victim decides to leave, which marks the most dangerous point in an abusive relationship. In that moment, one of the greatest barriers to escaping escalating violence is the lack of emergency relocation.77% of calls to France’s domestic violence helpline (3919) request emergency relocation, but with too few shelters available, 40% of victims are left without help.
From that point, the answer became clear. As an insurer’s core expertise is already to relocate people in the event of fire or flood, we added Three Words - 'and domestic violence’ - to all home insurance contracts, making emergency relocation available to victims.
-This clause is not an optional add-on. It's a mandatory feature of all 2.5M home insurance contracts, with retroactive effect.
-It did not increase the price of AXA’s home insurance.
-It protects all household members including women who are not policyholders and not named in the contract, as well as their children, since 80% of victims are mothers.
-It protects all victims of domestic violence, including men.
-And if people need to extend their emergency housing period, AXA Entraide—AXA’s philanthropic division—offers support on a case-by-case basis.
Our first strategic focus was domestic violence, a risk that overwhelmingly affects women, as one in five women will experience domestic violence during their lifetime.
Our breakthrough insight came from client research and partnerships with victim associations. We identified a critical place and moment: the home - where 89% of femicides occur - and the moment a victim decides to leave, which marks the most dangerous point in an abusive relationship. In that moment, one of the greatest barriers to escaping escalating violence is the lack of emergency relocation.77% of calls to France’s domestic violence helpline (3919) request emergency relocation, but with too few shelters available, 40% of victims are left without help.
From that point, the answer became clear. As an insurer’s core expertise is already to relocate people in the event of fire or flood, we added Three Words - 'and domestic violence’ - to all home insurance contracts, making emergency relocation available to victims.
-This clause is not an optional add-on. It's a mandatory feature of all 2.5M home insurance contracts, with retroactive effect.
-It did not increase the price of AXA’s home insurance.
-It protects all household members including women who are not policyholders and not named in the contract, as well as their children, since 80% of victims are mothers.
-It protects all victims of domestic violence, including men.
-And if people need to extend their emergency housing period, AXA Entraide—AXA’s philanthropic division—offers support on a case-by-case basis.
Execution
NEW VICTIM CARE JOURNEY:
Three Words took more than a year to implement. We built on AXA’s core expertise - emergency relocation and legal protection - but had to redesign our processes to ensure the safety of victims. This transformation was guided by consultations with victim support NGOs, and drew on a decade of experience from AXA’s legal aid program for domestic violence survivors.
The victim care journey enables emergency relocation in under 24 hours. A taxi picks up the victim and takes her to a secure hotel. The shelter’s address is confidential. Psychological and legal assistance is provided. And the entire care journey is designed to be safe, anonymous, inclusive, and child-friendly.
TRAINING OUR ADVISORS:
We trained our emergency hotline advisors to handle domestic violence cases. They were selected from AXA teams already dealing with high-sensitivity claims.
In parallel, our everyday customer advisors were trained to recognize signs of abuse and redirect victims to the support channel.
PRODUCT UPDATE:
The clause was added to all 2.5 million home contracts, retroactively.
And since December 2025, Three Words extends protection to 3 million more households across France, by being added to all AXA Corporate Health Insurance Plans.
CULTURAL AMPLIFICATION STRATEGY
To create cultural traction, we elevated the voices of survivors and association leaders alongside AXA’s own. We designated a top-level AXA French spokesperson - CEO Guillaume Borie - to embody this fight and amplify AXA’s ongoing commitment and elevated voices of NGO leader Ghada Hatem (president of Maison des femmes) and Sarah Barukh (writer, activist, survivor). We activated a network of more than 60 partner victim protection associations across France to relay the message. We brought domestic violence out of the private sphere and into the public debate, and ensured every potential victim knew help was one call away.
Three Words took more than a year to implement. We built on AXA’s core expertise - emergency relocation and legal protection - but had to redesign our processes to ensure the safety of victims. This transformation was guided by consultations with victim support NGOs, and drew on a decade of experience from AXA’s legal aid program for domestic violence survivors.
The victim care journey enables emergency relocation in under 24 hours. A taxi picks up the victim and takes her to a secure hotel. The shelter’s address is confidential. Psychological and legal assistance is provided. And the entire care journey is designed to be safe, anonymous, inclusive, and child-friendly.
TRAINING OUR ADVISORS:
We trained our emergency hotline advisors to handle domestic violence cases. They were selected from AXA teams already dealing with high-sensitivity claims.
In parallel, our everyday customer advisors were trained to recognize signs of abuse and redirect victims to the support channel.
PRODUCT UPDATE:
The clause was added to all 2.5 million home contracts, retroactively.
And since December 2025, Three Words extends protection to 3 million more households across France, by being added to all AXA Corporate Health Insurance Plans.
CULTURAL AMPLIFICATION STRATEGY
To create cultural traction, we elevated the voices of survivors and association leaders alongside AXA’s own. We designated a top-level AXA French spokesperson - CEO Guillaume Borie - to embody this fight and amplify AXA’s ongoing commitment and elevated voices of NGO leader Ghada Hatem (president of Maison des femmes) and Sarah Barukh (writer, activist, survivor). We activated a network of more than 60 partner victim protection associations across France to relay the message. We brought domestic violence out of the private sphere and into the public debate, and ensured every potential victim knew help was one call away.
Results
AXA started an insurance revolution with only three words.
# EARNED PR, REACH & ENGAGEMENT
Three Words sparked a national debate on domestic violence and the need for insurance coverage that is more inclusive of risks that disproportionately affect women.
-It generated high-quality media stories, including 5 to 10 min features on national TV (M6, BFM, France 2, France 3), and 7 extensive radio interviews, reaching a rated TV-radio audience of 41M.
-Coverage extended to 14 national print features and 92 online press articles, generating 210M in total press reach based on outlet audiences.
-Three Words resonated deeply with women who shared the message online, including survivors and NGOs, driving 28M reach and 176K engagements.
- Bringing total earned impressions to 279M.
PEOPLE IMPACT
2.5M contracts updated.
121 people supported in the first month (1292 people in the first 10 months).
BUSINESS IMPACT: -The campaign drove 135K visits to the Home Insurance landing-page in one month (+321% traffic compared to a typical campaign).
-Resulting in +9.1% uplift in new contracts over the first six months (vs. same period in 2024).
-Beyond short-term results, AXA changed how people choose home insurance: 67% brand consideration for AXA (vs. 43% Ipsos industry norm). Not just because they may need emergency relocation one day, but because choosing a contract that supports domestic violence survivors feels right.
BRAND IMPACT:
AXA moved from #2 to #1 in Brand Consideration.
63% say it improved their image of AXA (+33pts vs Ipsos category norm).
39% would recommend AXA home insurance to someone close to them.
SOCIETAL RIPPLE EFFECT
86% now believe this clause should become an industry standard.
# EARNED PR, REACH & ENGAGEMENT
Three Words sparked a national debate on domestic violence and the need for insurance coverage that is more inclusive of risks that disproportionately affect women.
-It generated high-quality media stories, including 5 to 10 min features on national TV (M6, BFM, France 2, France 3), and 7 extensive radio interviews, reaching a rated TV-radio audience of 41M.
-Coverage extended to 14 national print features and 92 online press articles, generating 210M in total press reach based on outlet audiences.
-Three Words resonated deeply with women who shared the message online, including survivors and NGOs, driving 28M reach and 176K engagements.
- Bringing total earned impressions to 279M.
PEOPLE IMPACT
2.5M contracts updated.
121 people supported in the first month (1292 people in the first 10 months).
BUSINESS IMPACT: -The campaign drove 135K visits to the Home Insurance landing-page in one month (+321% traffic compared to a typical campaign).
-Resulting in +9.1% uplift in new contracts over the first six months (vs. same period in 2024).
-Beyond short-term results, AXA changed how people choose home insurance: 67% brand consideration for AXA (vs. 43% Ipsos industry norm). Not just because they may need emergency relocation one day, but because choosing a contract that supports domestic violence survivors feels right.
BRAND IMPACT:
AXA moved from #2 to #1 in Brand Consideration.
63% say it improved their image of AXA (+33pts vs Ipsos category norm).
39% would recommend AXA home insurance to someone close to them.
SOCIETAL RIPPLE EFFECT
86% now believe this clause should become an industry standard.
2026 Awards
Total Points: 45
Gold Pencil
Credits
Agency
Publicis Conseil / Paris
PR / Marketing Agency
Publicis Consultants / Paris
Agency In-House Production Company
Prodigious / Paris
Chief Strategy Officer
Sarah Lemarié
Copywriter
Arnaud Cherbonnier
Francesca Vitello
Director
Marjory Dejardin
Director of Photography
Mehdi Manser
Executive Creative Director
Pierre Mathonat
Motion Designer
Benjamin Amadei
Producer
Armelle Sudron
Berenice Bouvart
Film Editor
Thomas Fernandez
Global CCO / CEO Leo - CEO / CCO Publicis Conseil
Marco Venturelli
Global Strategy Director
Antoine Collignon
Head of Art
Maud Robaglia
Account Director
Axelle Gadala
Elvire Padovani
Juliette Llory
Marie Quinette
ACCOUNT DIRECTOR AXA Group
Maude Gourier
Account Executive
Nadia Ragragui
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE INTERN
Juliette Fernandes
Account Manager
Assia Birba
Advertising Manager
Sophie Dupuis Latour
AFTER EFFECT
David Perez
Yoann Bouchard
Artistic Director
Laura Aondio
Vincent Tavernier
ASSISTANT PRODUCTION DIRECTOR
Elizabeth Dovjenok
Associate Director
Elsa Peretti
Audio Producer
Carsten Kruger
Brand Director
Thomas Boutte
Brand Project Officer
Noemie Gayet
Business Director
Kevin Martin
Business Partner
Jordan Coutault
CEO Publicis Groupe in France
Agathe Bousquet
CEO WAVEMAKER FRANCE
Julien Boyer
CHIEF LIGHTING TECHNICIAN
Remi Dufour
CLIENT DIRECTOR – EX-COM AXA FRANCE
Alice Holzman
CLIENT LEAD FRANCE
Claire Viala
Client Service Director
Francois Borel
Compositor
Vivien Villani
DEPUTY GLOBAL CLIENT LEAD AXA Group
Carla Cabalfin
Director of Communications
Heloise Mathon
Valerie Rudler
Electrician
Louis Lebastard
FILM EDITOR ASSISTANT
Chloé Thomas
First Assistant Camera
Clementine Peron
First Assistant Director
Mathilde Fanet
GLOBAL ADVERTISING MANAGER
Ida Catuelan
Global Brand Director
Virginie Berçot
GLOBAL BRAND PROJECT OFFICER
Emma Oumeddour
GLOBAL CLIENT LEAD AXA Group
Marie Wallet
GLOBAL DIRECTOR
Juliette Prigent
Global Media Lead
Marine Gissy
GROUP CHIEF COMMUNICATIONS
Ulrike Decoene
Head of Media
Anne Ferrandin
Head of PR
HÉlÈne Caillet
Make Up Artist
Frederique Robert
MARKETING EFFECTIVENESS AND MEDIA GLOBAL DIRECTOR
Jerome Amouyal
MEDIA EXPERT
Antoine Meuret
MEDIA PROJECT OFFICER
Faiza Dries
Postproduction
Alexia Besnarous
Marie Faivre
Pierre Huon
PR & INFLUENCE CONSULTANT
Lea Corblin
PRESS PUBLIC RELATION OFFICER
Gustavo Coura Guimaraes
process manager
Cecile Cuzin
Geraldine Sorhaitz
Production director
Marie Caron
Production Manager
Philippe Bourdon
Screenwriter
Sarah Barukh
Sound Supervisor
Damien Perrolaz
Maya Rosa
Traffic Manager
Julie Nudelman
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