Last year we were given the opportunity to work with Okay to Say in their mission to end the stigma surrounding mental health. Okay to Say was ready to launch a new phase of their campaign, which was centered around building a supportive community around those struggling with mental health issues.
In working with Okay to Say, we knew it was important to partner closely with mental health professionals, physicians and psychiatrists to land on messaging that would inspire action while remaining cognizant of the highly sensitive nature of mental illness. Through this collaboration, we created the campaign "Speak Up. Share Hope." This work speaks to two unique audiences: those struggling with mental health issues and the family and friends of those struggling. In order to break down the stigma and barriers to receiving help, we realized as a team that we not only need to reach those struggling, but their support network.
In order to reach these audiences, we created work that spanned print, website, digital and social. We also created a tool kit for local organizations throughout Texas to utilize in their communities. We also wanted to make sure that we were providing meaningful and useful content, that would help Texans have tough conversations with their friends and loved ones, while still respecting their personal mental health journey. This content took the form of "conversation starters" with tips on how to approach a friend or loved one you may see struggling. This content lives as shareable content on the Okay to Say website, and is also used in the new Facebook Experiences ad platform, in which users can interact with the tips directly on Facebook.
Talking about mental health doesn’t need to feel daunting or scary. If you need resources about your mental health, or the mental health of a loved one, head over to okaytosay.org for tools to help you start that journey.
