How Blacklist Channelled Personal Stories for ‘The Life Trail’ Activation
In RTL Videoland’s new show, The Life Trail, eight young people facing a range of personal issues and challenges are given the chance to go on an adventure through the Swiss mountains. Guided by Dutch actors Nasrdin Dchar and Walid Benmbarek, and former Special Forces member, Erik Wegewijs, the show follows their transformative journey. Videoland’s research found that 25% of young people today report struggling with some kind of mental health issue and the show aims to show that things can and do get better.
Blacklist used that statistic and the show’s inspirational message to inform their creative ideation for the activation. The team, lead by creative director Sylvia Mulder-Stones, were given the freedom and trust to devise an incredible campaign idea. The only ask from Videoland was that it was impactful.
For Sylvia, putting the audience first was paramount as was maintaining the delicate balance between a campaign that was sensitive yet attention grabbing at the same time. The installation - in the shape of mountain Pilatus, which the contestants climbed on the show - was on display in the Central Hall of Westfields Mall of the Netherlands and featured a series of real letters from people discussing their own mental health struggles and stories of resilience.
Today, LBB speaks to Sylvia about how Blacklist executed this sensitive campaign, how the team pushed through tight production timelines, and why positive response to the campaign is Sylvia’s highlight from working on it.
LBB> When did RTL Videoland first come to you with the project? What was the brief like?
Sylvia> RTL Videoland came to us at the end of the summer with an exciting brief for the launch of their new show. In The Life Trail, eight young people with personal challenges ranging from loneliness and depression to struggling with gender identity, are given the opportunity to face their fears and challenges in an adventurous journey through the mountains of Switzerland. Actors Nasrdin Dchar and Walid Benmbarek (known from the Videoland Original series ‘Mocro Maffia’) join the group with Erik Wegewijs (known from the Videoland Original series 'Special Forces VIPS'), as inspiring and motivating guides.
Videoland provided research that showed 25% of young people these days struggle with mental health in one way or another. They wanted to create a campaign that addressed this topic and would make an impact, more than a traditional media campaign could.
LBB> Tell us what your first response and initial thoughts on the brief were?
Sylvia> We were immediately very excited as the brief gave us free range to come up with any and all campaign ideas, as long as it was impactful. We were also excited about the meaning behind the show and the ability to go a little deeper with our ideas to really find that connection with the target audience.
LBB> ‘The Life Trail’ shows aims to uplift young people experiencing difficulties and mental health issues. How did this idea influence the creative campaign you put forward?
Sylvia> It is a central part of the story of the series, and therefore it needed to be a central part of the campaign as well. We wanted to do this in a meaningful and delicate way, by providing a safe space for young people to share their stories and connect to one another, without any judgement. But also a place where people could find shelter in the stories and start a conversation with people around them who maybe face similar issues.
LBB> How did you balance sensitivity around the issue with the need to attract the eyes of viewers?
Sylvia> It was important for Videoland and Blacklist to put the audience first, in this case young people between the ages of 18-34 years old, and start from their perspective: how do they feel about these topics, what are they missing and what do they respond to? The show touches upon themes such as addiction, gender identity, and mental health. Those are topics that are all experienced on a deeply individual level, so we wanted to steer away from making any kind of broad stroke statements. We wanted to make the topics relatable and recognisable to the audience and create a safe space to share those individual stories amongst each other, to start a conversation that is so important at this time.
LBB> The installation uses letters from real people who wrote in to share personal stories. How did you entice people to share and how did you decide which ones to use as part of the installation?
Sylvia> In the week leading up to the activation, Videoland posted a call-to-action video of the three hosts inviting people to share their stories for the wall on their social channels. Immediately, letters started to come. Additionally, there was a dedicated space in the installation for people to write their stories and leave them on the wall. On the second day, the wall was already covered top to bottom with letters. The stories people told in their letters were varied, but we did see some recurring themes, such as struggles with ADHD and depression, feelings of loneliness and searching for a sense of belonging. There were also people who wrote uplifting and inspirational stories about overcoming issues. We included almost all of the letters to give a balanced and inclusive representation of the audience.
LBB> The installation is in the shape of Mount Pilatus - the same as the one the show’s contestants have to climb. How did you land on this idea?
Sylvia> The whole installation needed to be eye-catching, we couldn’t rely on just the letters to entice people to look up from their busy day and take notice. The mountain in the show is very metaphorical, it represents both the physical and mental challenges the contestants try to overcome. When we started sketching, it naturally led us to the shape of the mountain - it felt like an impactful visual that was on point with both the show and the intention behind the letters.
LBB> Did you run into any difficulties while working on this project? If so, how did you find a solution?
Sylvia> My favourite part of working at Blacklist is the company’s attitude that there is never a problem, only a solution to be found. Timelines for production were very tight, but everyone working on the project was so dedicated and excited that any issues were easily overcome. Everyone from our production team, builders and Videoland gave 110% and therefore we managed to make it all happen within a week. Teamwork really did make the dream work, in this case.
LBB> What was your favourite part of working on this project?
Sylvia> It’s always a little nerve-racking to see how people respond to what you have created, especially when it’s an activation that relies on audience participation. The response was overwhelmingly positive and travelled all the way from the activation to social media, where people who were unable to see the wall in person were still inspired to leave their own stories. It was definitely a high-five moment for the whole team when we saw it all come together. And even now, stories are still being submitted.
LBB> Is there anything that you would like to share with us about the work you executed?
Sylvia> At Blacklist we always start with compelling storytelling that leads us into a great creative marketing execution. This activation is a great example of how staying authentic to the audience and putting storytelling at the heart can lead to fantastic marketing results.
