WHAT’S GOING ON: Suicide is the most potent yet preventable killer in Ireland killing 399 people in 2016, x 2.8 times more than road traffic accidents. Our suicide rate is the fourth highest in the EU, 80% of those being male. We had to use our unique position (advertising & creativity) in our society to help reduce this number. THE APPROACH: We had to go beyond the generic “talk to someone” message prevalent in most suicide prevention campaigns. People suffering from suicidal thoughts are afraid to talk to their loved ones. They are afraid if they open up and reveal what’s going on in their mind, that person will reject them and cut them out of their life. This stops them from opening up and seeking help from close family and friends.
We found a unique yet tragic insight that informed our strategy and creative direction. CAMPAIGN INSIGHT: “People are afraid of loosing their loved one if they talk about their feelings and issues.” THE WORK: We created “Best Man”, a commercial disguised as a short radio play to reach out and help those, or loved ones of those, experiencing suicidal thoughts. KEY AUDIENCE: 80% of all deaths by suicide are male, with those numbers peaking in the 45-55 year old demographic. That is a lot of fathers, husbands, brothers and sons. The old world “false reality” that a man has to be the breadwinner, the strong one, a pillar of strength, compounds the issue. With “talking” self-excluded as an option, thoughts tragically escalate, leaving suicide as their only perceived option, however misguided this may be. We leveraged a key moment in the majority of men’s lives – their wedding.
A landmark moment in the lives families and friends, weddings are a time to love and laugh, and in some cases, get roasted by your best man. LISTEN HERE: https://soundcloud.com/chalkea2/bestman RESULTS: The results of this campaign will be the people who are still alive today because this campaign made them, or their loved one, pause and reconsider something. Who are they? How many are there? We don’t know, and won’t know. What we do know, is that if the answer is just 1 person, than it was worth it. If that’s the result, we are proud of the fact there is one more father at the dinner table, one more sister still going to college, one more son still working towards his future. HELP SPREAD THE IMPACT: If this creative has had an impact on you, don’t let that end when you finish this judging process. Be that best man or woman to those in your life that may need you. If that’s the result, this campaign is the most important and most successful piece of work we’ve ever had the honour of being involved in.
