Heartbreaking Campaign from Sue Ryder Shows How Society Handles Death and Grief

The palliative care and bereavement charity Sue Ryder and independent creative agency Impero have launched a deeply moving campaign, Back For A Moment, to introduce a powerful new brand platform, ‘Death Deserves Better’. 

The campaign takes an unflinching look at how society handles death and grief, seeking to inspire a cultural shift in the way we talk about life’s most inevitable event.

Breaking the Silence Around Death and Grief

Sue Ryder is passionate about creating a social movement that breaks down the barriers to talking about death and dying. Death and grief, however, remain among the last taboos in modern society, and something that many people find difficult to talk about. Too often, people struggle to find the right words to say and, fearing saying the wrong ones, end up saying nothing at all. The result, at its best, is often an empty platitude, and at its worst, is neighbours crossing the street to avoid the discomfort of speaking to someone grieving. The latter is something heard several times during focus groups ahead of developing the campaign. 

Awkwardness around the topic intensifies the suffering of those facing death or grief. It can leave them feeling scared, unseen, and alone. The new campaign from Sue Ryder and Impero aims to change that by sparking meaningful conversations and encouraging society to give death - and those affected by it - the respect and support they deserve.

Additionally, the charity will reach thousands of grieving people, giving them access to a suite of free support, ranging from an online community for bereaved people, through to online bereavement counselling.

Back For A Moment

The work, which comprises two films, radio and digital content, puts real people at its heart and captures genuine moments of them revisiting digital memories of their loved ones.

In each film, we meet a different person at home, alone, using content on their phones as a means to bring their loved ones back for a moment. 

One film features a woman listening to a heartfelt voice note from her mother saying that she loves her. She moves around her empty flat while listening to the voicemail over and over.

Another film shows a woman watching a video of her partner playing with their child, as she cries alone on her sofa, with framed photos of her partner visible in the background.

In both films, the names of the people who have died appear on screen, followed by writing stating that 88% of people feel alone in their grief. A voiceover says: “Together, we can make sure that no one faces death or grief alone, because, at Sue Ryder, we believe grief deserves better.”

Finding Comfort in What’s Left Behind

For many who have experienced the death of loved ones, the reminders - no matter how everyday - bring comfort. Whether it’s an old voicemail message, a video, or a short voice note, these everyday digital memories allow people to reconnect, even if just for a fleeting moment. In a society where people generally try to avoid sharing open feelings of grief with others, these digital memories  have become an important form of comfort for those facing grief. 

The campaign highlights how disconnected we can be from each other in these moments of need, underscoring the message that death and grief deserve better.

Shot by the award-winning director duo Tubby Brothers, the campaign is raw, real, and carefully crafted - something that doesn’t shy away from the complexities of grief. Every interaction, every tear, every smile is genuine, offering an unfiltered look at the impact of death and bereavement, and amplifying the message that society can do better in supporting those facing death and grief. The aim was to create something respectful, honest and authentic.

Death Deserves Better

On the launch of the campaign Victoria Kubie, head of brand and marketing at Sue Ryder said, “This campaign marks the start of a long term brand strategy for Sue Ryder to break the taboo of death, and ultimately to help build a society that supports everyone through dying and grief. We’re incredibly grateful to our contributors for sharing such intimate stories and allowing us to see them at their most vulnerable. Through this campaign we are working to ensure no one faces death or grief alone. And by sharing real stories, we hope people watching relate to them, get talking about death and grief with their loved ones and feel inspired to support Sue Ryder.”

“For many, death is a taboo subject , but it’s a part of every one of our lives. The pain of grief is amplified by the silence surrounding it. With this campaign, we want to show that Death and Grief Deserves Better - better conversations, better support, and better understanding," said Emily Winterbourne, managing director at Impero. "We’re proud to work with Sue Ryder, a charity that does so much to provide vital care and bereavement support. We want this campaign to inspire change. To nudge society to show up for people in their hardest moments. When you show people in focus groups your idea, and they say “That’s me, I do that. I’ve still got my Dad’s voice, on my landline answering machine” you know you’re onto something powerful.”

The campaign will run across TV, VOD, radio and digital, for a three month period. There will also be a partnership with ITV, in January.