beyondblue & Nissan Australia Launch 'Chat Laps' with Whybin\TBWA, Melbourne

To mark Men's Health Week 2016 beyondblue and Nissan Australia have launched 'Chat Laps', an initiative via Whybin\TBWA Group Melbourne, encouraging Australian men to take a drive and talk, to help battle anxiety and depression.

The initiative uses the concept of a 'lap' to get mates speaking to each other more openly, and was conceived after reviewing a recent study noting men were far more likely to talk honestly when they weren't facing each other.

VISIT THE CHAT LAPS HUB

Chat Laps launches with a film demonstrating the ease at which men chat when they're in the car, side by side. Men are also encouraged to adorn their vehicles with a Chat Laps sticker, identifying themselves as being 'up for one' should a mate want to talk.

Out of 8 suicides in Australia every day, 6 of them are men, and in no line of work is the problem worse than the building industry. Suicide among construction workers aged 15-24 is twice as high as other young males. And with only around a quarter of all men accessing help for a mental disorder, there's a long way to go to remove the stigma associated with guys having honest conversations with one another.

Says Chris Mandile, director marketing and sales of Nissan Australia: "Chat Laps highlights how time spent in the car can be used to check on others or open up. Car journeys are a great opportunity to talk about anything that's bothering you, what begins as banter may end up saving a life."

Says Georgie Harman, CEO, beyondblue: "One of the problems we've found is that if men aren't feeling great, they're often unsure about which of their mates they can talk to about it.  What we love about this initiative is that it tackles 'the conversation', as well as some of the barriers to having it."

Client: beyondblue & Nissan Australia
Creative Agency: Whybin\TBWA Melbourne
Executive Creative Director: Paul Reardon
Creative Director: Tara Ford
Creatives: Tim Woolford. Scott Canning
Senior Producer: Nik Round
Production Company: TRUCE
Director: Nick Clifford
Producer: Michael Ciccone
Account Service & Planning:
Planner: Harrison Steinhart
Account Director: Damiano Di Pietro
Account Manager: Usman Khan
Head of Social: Hien Pham