How AXA used creative thinking to deliver life-saving support

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.

But those aren’t the only dangers that make a home unsafe. To help women find refuge when they need it most, AXA extended its usual clause by three simple words: “and domestic violence”. The clause has been included in all 2.5 million AXA home insurance contracts, with retroactive effect, helping thousands of people to get support within the first year of launch.

Developed by Publicis Conseil, Three Words shows how creative thinking can translate into tangible solutions, a feat recognised with a Black Pencil, multiple Yellow Pencils and an Impact Pencil at the D&AD Awards 2026.

The simplicity of the three-word update belies the scale of the challenge to make the new clause a reality. In a discussion about the work, Alice Holzman, chief customer, brand and marketing officer at AXA France, and Sarah Lemarié, Publicis France’s chief strategy officer, reflect on where the idea came from, getting buy-in for the initiative and the remarkable impact it has already had. Watch the video to learn how the campaign transformed the lives of thousands of women while quietly shifting perceptions of the insurance category at the same time.