• by Fern Siegel , 2 hours ago

As England’s World Cup matches begin, Women’s Aid has launched “The Other Kick Off,” a campaign to aid victims of domestic violence.

Ahead of every match, millions of British fans ask: “What time is kickoff?” Women's Aid is displaying an alternative kick-off time for England’s opening World Cup match against Croatia: 11:37 p.m. The time is deliberately chosen — the estimated moment domestic abuse is most likely to surge after a match ends.

Large-scale out-of-home placements display “The Other Kick Off” across city centers, transport hubs, fan zones and areas near bars. The work contrasts fan anticipation with the fear many women experience as the final whistle approaches. Audiences can scan a QR code to uncover the truth behind the time.

Creative work is by Elvis. Media space was donated by The Outernet, Ocean Outdoor, JCDecaux, Open Media, Alight Media, Grazia and Metro.

“The Other Kick Off” follows Women's Aid’s awarded 2022 World Cup campaign “He's Coming Home,” which reimagined the sport’s anthem as a warning, backed by research that shows domestic-abuse incidents rise by 38% when England loses and by 26% when they win.

Josh Green, CCO, Elvis said: “The World Cup dominates everything from search and social to pub conversations. It defines the entire national mood really. For Women’s Aid, that created a rare moment when millions of people were all doing the same thing at the same time. Getting the wrong answer to a question is a very different experience to being told something you didn’t want to hear.”

With the 2026 World Cup spread across multiple North American time zones, the kick-off question will be asked repeatedly. The time difference means England matches will finish late in the U.K., when victims are most isolated and support services least visible.

Farah Nazeer, CEO, Women’s Aid, said: “When it comes to kick-off, we’re not talking about football, we're talking about what happens after. Domestic abuse is never caused by football, but we know incidents increase during major tournaments. We want people to check in on loved ones, trust their instincts if something feels wrong, and remind survivors that support is available.”