Three and Samaritans dramatize listening personalities to get people talking
Of the third of Brits who admit their mental health has worsened during the pandemic, 90% felt talking to someone made things better.
Three – Samaritans
To encourage the nation to become better listeners, Three UK has partnered with the Samaritans on #BetterPhoneFriend. The campaign is devised to help people identify the traits that could prevent them from being great listeners, using a series of animated films.
Created by Wonderhood Studios, in the #BetterPhoneFriend films the five listening personalities are dramatized as the worrier, the filler, the attention splitter, the interviewer and the fixer.
The voiceover in the animations is designed to draw in the listener, and to help them actively listen by focusing on what is being said. It is supported with simple, thoughtful animation.
The listener and talker are each represented by spheres without identifiable features, so anyone can project themselves onto either role. The result is a calm moment in the ad break to reflect.
“Listening is a vital skill that can truly change a person’s life, and we can all learn to be better listeners,” explains Julie Bentley, chief exec at Samaritans. She says that active listening may not come easily to people, particularly when confronted by a difficult conversation with a friend or loved one who is going through a hard time, but it can make a real difference. “By encouraging and teaching people not just to talk, but how to be a better listener, we can help open up more conversations when they matter most,” she argues.
“The films are a powerful way to create a moment of calm in our busy lives, while raising awareness of the importance of listening,” says Aislinn O’Connor, director of marketing for UK and Ireland at Three. “At Three, we believe that we can all be better listeners – and Better Phone Friends – by making that call, listening and connecting to our loved ones.”
You can watch ’#BetterPhoneFriend’ in full above or click on the Creative Works gallery below to vote for it.
