Campaign's Impact on Young Australians
Our Watch’s Comfort Zone campaign has significantly boosted confidence among young Australians in setting and respecting relationship boundaries. Running from June 3 to August 31, 2025, the initiative reached millions of youths nationwide. It was part of The Line campaign, focusing on educating young people about healthy relationship dynamics.
The campaign achieved 134.5 million impressions and 59 million video views across digital platforms. Participants are 11% more confident in communicating healthy boundaries, according to new data. They are also significantly more adept at identifying controlling behaviors in relationships, reflecting the campaign’s effectiveness.
“As a couple, we know firsthand how important it is to have mutual respect and set healthy boundaries,” said social media influencers Taz Zammit and Alessia Allfree, who took part in the Comfort Zone initiative. “Comfort Zone is a creative way to have those types of talks in an honest, judgement-free space.”
Engagement and Learning
High-profile actors, athletes, and influencers featured in Comfort Zone’s video series aimed at educating young people on respectful relationships. Patty Kinnersly, CEO of Our Watch, highlighted the campaign’s success, emphasizing the need to address gender inequality and prevent violence against women through education. “It’s incredibly encouraging to see young people not only engaging with Comfort Zone, but taking away and applying meaningful lessons,” she stated.
The initiative underscores that change requires us to challenge harmful attitudes, call out disrespect, and model equality in our everyday lives. This approach is essential in preventing violence against women, often driven by gender inequality.
A key component of the campaign is an interactive board game designed to prompt discussions about common relationship issues such as online privacy and social media interactions. This tool aids participants in navigating and discussing complex topics in a safe environment.
According to Our Watch, the campaign builds on evidence that rigid gender roles and the normalization of harmful behaviors contribute to violence against women. “Too often, harmful behaviors are dismissed as ‘just jokes’ or ‘not a big deal’. But these attitudes create the conditions where violence can occur,” remarked Patty Kinnersly.
Our Watch’s audience insights report reveals that the campaign effectively improved young Australians’ understanding of healthy boundaries and behaviors. The importance of reaching out to young people is further demonstrated by the campaign’s success in fostering meaningful conversations about respect and equality.
