From Harmful Slang to Hopeful Statement: ‘HumanHugger’ Campaign Flips a Phrase to Support Survivors

As November marks Domestic Violence Awareness Month, a Saint John, New Brunswick –based tech-for-mental-health-good company is challenging harmful language and giving it new meaning.

my.SOLIS, a local social enterprise, is supporting Hestia House through the sale of HumanHugger tank tops as part of the Purple Lights Campaign , a month-long initiative raising awareness for survivors of domestic violence. Proceeds from every shirt sold will go directly to Hestia House, which provides safety, comfort, and hope to women and families escaping violence.

The initiative reclaims a term once associated with violence and turns it into a message of compassion.

Earlier this October, CBC News reported that online retailers were still using the term “wife beater” to describe sleeveless undershirts, a phrase long criticized for trivializing domestic violence. Ad Standards Canada has ruled the description violates the Canada's advertising code, and it has since been edited to remove the offensive slur. However, when searching “wife beater” keyword, the term continues to generate the shirts across most major retail platforms.

This ongoing visibility is an example of algorithmic persistence, where outdated or harmful language remains embedded in search systems and SEO metadata long after it has been removed from visible advertising. While Ad Standards Canada oversees paid and promotional advertising, it currently has no authority over organic search or SEO practices. As a result, harmful terminology can continue circulating through automated algorithms that prioritize clicks and history over ethics.

By acknowledging and addressing these patterns, we can start a broader conversation about ethical SEO and the shared responsibility among advertisers, platforms, and consumers to ensure that the digital world reflects the same values of respect and compassion we expect in society.

In response, my.SOLIS decided to create a counter-message. The organization designed white tank tops with the words “HumanHugger – Support Hestia House” printed in bold purple text, symbolizing empathy, safety, and community. Proceeds from each sale will directly benefit Hestia House, a Saint John shelter that provides safety, counselling, and hope for women and children escaping violence.

“When communities unite around a message of compassion, we show survivors they’re not invisible,” said Janna Comeau, Executive Director of Hestia House.“‘HumanHugger’ isn’t just a shirt...it’s a statement that kindness and awareness can help end the silence around domestic violence.”

Part of a Growing Global Movement

While the HumanHugger campaign began in Saint John, it joins a larger international effort to reclaim or rebrand the controversial garment.

In Australia, feminist advocate Alisa Draskovic launched the “This Is Not a Wife Beater” campaign in 2013, introducing positive alternatives like “Respecter” and “Partner Respecter.” The campaign used the shirts as symbols of respectful relationships and partnered with community groups such as YWCA Canberra to promote safe, inclusive spaces.

More recently, a Gen Z–led shift on TikTok has popularized the term “wife pleaser”, a lighthearted but unstructured attempt to replace a harmful label with something less violent.

What makes HumanHugger distinct is its focus on direct social impact. It is one of the first North American initiatives to pair a rebrand with corporate accountability, launched in response to the CBC/Amazon investigation, and to channel 100 percent of proceeds directly to Hestia House, a domestic violence shelter in Saint John, New Brunswick.

Through the Purple Lights Campaign partnership, my.SOLIS aims to demonstrate how tech companies and local organizations can work together to foster awareness, raise funds, and model ethical innovation.

💜 Flipping a phrase to support survivors. Join the Zumba Move for Hestia House, led by ZIN Instructor Tammy Moore, and order your HumanHugger tank to help raise awareness and funds for women and families seeking safety this November. Get Tickets & Order Your HumanHugger on Eventbrite

The campaign forms part of a broader movement this November, the Purple Lights Campaign, which invites businesses and individuals to display purple lights or take part in fundraising efforts to raise awareness for survivors of abuse.

For my.SOLIS, the campaign reflects its broader mission. The early-stage startup’s platform is designed to help users manage and interpret difficult communications through AI-assisted coaching and trauma-informed tools, giving individuals and professionals the ability to respond, guide, and support others with empathy and safety.

“Every message carries weight,” reads the company’s tagline. “We created my.SOLIS so no one has to carry it alone.”

The HumanHugger initiative bridges that philosophy from the digital world into the community, turning awareness into action, one message and one conversation at a time.

my.SOLIS Founder’s Note:

“At my.SOLIS, we believe technology can be both powerful and deeply human. Words shape how we think, feel, connect and sometimes, changing a single word can change a culture. ‘HumanHugger’ represents the kind of world we’re working toward: one where compassion replaces cruelty, and awareness leads to action. We’re honoured to stand alongside Hestia House and support their life-saving work. Together, we can shine a light on courage and remind survivors they are never alone.” - Cheryl Willson, my.SOLIS Founder

---

How You Can Help Change Digital Language

Outdated or harmful terms often persist online because search engines and algorithms still associate them with old marketing data. This “algorithmic persistence” keeps stereotypes alive, even after advertisers edit or remove the offensive language.

What Ad Standards Canada Can and Cannot Do

Ad Standards Canada enforces the Canadian Code of Advertising Standards, which governs the content of paid advertisements, marketing materials, and product listings. If a harmful or discriminatory term appears in an ad or listing, Ad Standards can review complaints and ask the advertiser to change or remove it. However, Ad Standards has no authority over search algorithms or SEO metadata (the behind-the-scenes keywords and indexing that determine what appears in search results). Those systems are controlled by the platforms themselves, such as Google, Amazon, or other online retailers. This is why outdated or harmful terms can continue to appear, even after being removed from visible content.

For Companies

• Adopt ethical SEO practices: Remove violent, discriminatory, or demeaning terms from metadata, even if they attract traffic. Replace them with inclusive, accurate, and compassionate alternatives.

• Be transparent: Publish a short Digital Responsibility Statement outlining your commitment to ethical SEO and inclusive communication.

• Collaborate for change: Encourage industry bodies and marketing associations to expand Canada’s advertising standards to include ethical SEO and algorithmic responsibility.

  
  

For Consumers

• Report harmful ads or listings: If a paid advertisement or product listing uses offensive or discriminatory language (like the slur referenced in this discussion), file a complaint with Ad Standards Canada

• Contact retailers directly: For offensive search results or SEO-driven keywords, reach out to the retailer or use social media to raise awareness — public pressure can drive quick updates.

• Support responsible brands: Choose and share companies that use gender-neutral, respectful language in their advertising and product descriptions.

  
  

Every search, word, and purchase helps shape the culture we live in. Together, we can help ensure that our digital world reflects the same empathy, dignity, and respect we expect offline.