#LetMeTalk

The nature of depression can discourage people from talking about their illness, cutting them off from help. Yet research showed us that 69% of helpline callers found that talking to someone enabled them to cope better and feel supported, less anxious, and more in control. To tackle this issue, we devised #LetMeTalk - an integrated campaign for mental health helpline charity SANE, encouraging those struggling with depression to find their voice and call for help.
 We created a haunting 60-sec film, shot by up-and-coming director YounessBenali, and for the stills enlisted the help of British photographer Rankin; both portraying a man being silenced by an intruder, a metaphor for his depression. On Twitter we recruited celebrities such as Stephen Fry and Ruby Wax to participate in a mass ‘day of silence’ - only posting the typing icon on that day. After 24 hours they revealed the reason for their silence. While on Instagram influencers were encouraged to post images of themselves with a stranger’s hand across their face, subsequently sharing the film with their followers. The campaign ran nationwide across film (online and cinema), OOH and social.