Why Men’s Minds Matter campaign is the most poignant one you’ll see this year
Media Bounty and Men’s Minds Matter won at The Drum Awards for Out of Home 2022 in the Not for Profit for its If You Think Something’s Up, Bring it Up. Here, we find out more about how they delivered their thought-provoking campaign.
Men's Minds Matter Suicide Intervention and Prevention Specialists OOH campaign
‘If You Think Something’s Up, Bring It Up’ is a poignant campaign for not-for-profit charity Men’s Minds Matter. It aims to raise awareness and break down stigmas surrounding men's mental health. From a simple idea to a national OOH and social media campaign, it demonstrates the power of advertising, especially when the team is motivated by making a difference.
Trigger warning: suicide
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The brief
A British man dies of suicide every two hours. It’s the single biggest killer of men under 45 in the UK. Statistically, men tend to fall into self-destructive behaviors rather than seek professional help for their mental health. They may avoid or delay seeking treatment because of concerns about being treated differently or due to perceptions that having a mental health issue diminishes their masculinity.
Suicide can also come out of the blue for everyone – apart from the victim. So Media Bounty and Men’s Minds Matter wanted to encourage people to bring it up if they think something was up.
WhatsApp and text messages are such a common form of everyday communication, and when it comes to talking to friends and loved ones, we can sometimes miss signs that indicate something is up. So the two organizations chose to spotlight this and develop a campaign that showcased the signs of someone struggling.
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The idea
Media Bounty works with charities and not-for-profits close to their team’s hearts. n February 2022, they approached Men’s Minds Matter, a not-for-profit organization specializing in developing psychological interventions for people at risk of suicide.
Together, they worked in partnership with medical professionals, lived experience experts and families affected by suicide. Family members generously shared some of the last text conversations between them and their loved ones before they took their own lives. The team crafted a beautifully simple text message template, allowing the real emotion to flow through.
Working with Clear Channel and Ocean Outdoor, in partnership with BambOOH, they secured free advertising space all over the UK. They focused on OOH panels with high footfall, such as city centers and key arterial routes. And they secured sites that were close to universities to reach young adults and football stadiums to target a male majority. This meant they could increase the likelihood of reaching their core audience and ultimately driving the conversation on such an important subject.
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The results
The OOH ads were seen 4.4 million times. And since launching, the charity saw a huge increase in men reaching out, meaning they’ve been able to offer vital help to people struggling.
Online, people are spreading the message, ‘If You Think Something’s Up, Bring It Up’, and across social media, the posts have been shared by influencers reaching over 500k followers.
The ads caught the eyes of the cast and producers of Channing Tatum’s Magic Mike Live, resulting in a year-long partnership to raise awareness of male suicide.
Comments and interactions had one underlying theme: men need to talk more. There’s no shame in sharing how you’re feeling.
If you or someone you know is struggling, you can find help and guidance at Men’s Minds Matter.
This campaign was a winner at The Drum Awards for Out of Home 2022. You can see all the winners here. The Drum Awards for Marketing are currently open for entry. Find out how you can enter now.
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