• by Larissa Faw , September 2, 2016

With 50% of campus sexual assaults taking place in the first three months of the school year and the current national discussion over light sentences handed down over sexual predators like Brock Turner, two Marc USA executives are using their expertise to raise awareness around what "no" means as it relates to sexual consent.

Founded by Creative Director Stephanie Franke and Executive Producer Snake Roth, the 'KnowNo' campaign is designed to serve as a grassroots movement to spark conversations among parents, friends and young adults about the issue of sexual consent.

'KnowNo' is anchored by a brief video dramatizing the plight of an unconscious sexual assault victim set to the track of “Till It Happens to You” by Lady Gaga and Diane Warren, who donated the use of the music to help spread the KnowNo message. The video was shot in public locations throughout Chicago in July and elicited highly emotional responses from bystanders, says the agency.

The website KnowNo.us includes a short quiz where visitors can test their knowledge of consent, links to consent definitions by state and resources for victims of sexual assault. There’s also a call to action to take the quiz and post selfies with the hashtag #IKnowNo across social media channels.  The initiative can be followed at @KnowNoProject on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

A PSA version of the video has been created and will be available for TV and digital use. A variety of out-of-home showings are also in the planning phase. Also Marc USA will conduct additional events on several campuses in September.

"Quite simply, we asked ourselves if people understood consent, would they still make the same choices?" asks Roth. "Would a young person under the influence find the sense to stop? Would a victim realize it was not her or his fault, and report the incident? So, we are asking the country to help us spread the word.”