A man massages his head during a headache alongside text posing the question; 'feeling anxious?'
Campaign flyers depicting depressed men below encouraging words within speech bubbles.

The Mission.

Helping men to feel more comfortable talking about their feelings

Using existing research we had already undertaken with men, we set out to create a campaign for NWCH that would encourage men to open up and talk about their feelings. Using social media, our role was to help bring men to an award-winning counselling hub set up to help men open up and engage in a #ManChat.

A campaign pop-up banner depicting a disheartened man alongside a statistic about suicidal men.

The Campaign.

A campaign men can relate to

The campaign embraced illustration and featured a range of characters and key questions that speak to men feeling low such as: ‘tired of putting on a brave face?’ and ‘is life getting you down?’ We used statistics to highlight the number of people likely to be going through the same situation, and support the message that they are not alone.

Impact.

We produced a range of print materials for the campaign, including tailored flyers to be placed in workplaces - specifically we targeted construction and farming workers. We also created beer mats, placed in pubs where some men may spend a lot of time. The materials promoted a call to action to encourage men to sit down with a cup of tea and counsellor and have a #ManChat. Mental health was left out of the copy deliberately as men have told us that they would not identify with materials about mental health. 

A stack of printed coasters offering advice on how to spot a depressed friend in need.
A montage of 4 social media posts featuring male characters who are unhappy.

Lincoln's First Suicide Prevention Conference.

Following on from the success of the #ManChat campaign, NWHC approached us to help increase awareness of their services - including services for all adults and children and help get the word out about their first suicide prevention conference in Lincoln. To do this we evolved the character design, incorporating female and child characters and created assets that work online and offline. We also embedded storytelling to develop a deeper emotional connection with the target audience.

The cover of the event program featuring 3 saddened characters, a man, a boy and a woman.
An unhappy woman alongside a quote printed onto a stack of coasters.