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Creative in association withGear Seven
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Is It Really the Most Wonderful Time of the Year?

19/12/2022
Creative Agency
Vancouver, Canada
105
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Full Punch aims to put a lid on mental health in the creative industry this holiday

One in four Canadians experiences mental health problems. That’s a staggering number, up 25% from one in five in 2021, but still not as bad as those in the advertising industry, where four in five Canadians suffer from mental health related issues. And it doesn’t look like it will get better any time soon.

These startling facts led advertising agency, Full Punch to partner with Vancouver’s WIRTH Hats to create the 'Hotline Hat', which literally makes the emergency counselling phone number for Wellness Together Canada top of mind. In addition, WIRTH donates a free counselling session for someone in need with every purchase. “These hats are designed to grab people’s attention, offering a much-needed lifeline in an industry where mental health resources can be challenging to track down,” said Chris Zawada, founding partner and head of creative.

“When we started discussions about our agency holiday card and client gift, we kept coming back to our Hotline Hat. 52% of Canadians say the holidays negatively impact their mental health. Which begs the question: is this really the most wonderful time of the year?” said Jack Dayan, founding partner and head of strategy at Full Punch. “Our clients already receive enough of the typical agency gifts, so we wanted to give them something that holds more value and purpose. Gifting the Hotline Hat shows that we support them and ensures our partner, WIRTH, can donate more counselling sessions.”

The three founding partners of Full Punch, Chris Zawada, Jack Dayan, and Mike Leslie, are all too aware of the mental health challenges that face those in our industry. “Each of us has over 20 years of experience working all over North America. We’ve seen the good, the bad, and the ugly, and we know the added pressure this time of year can bring – deadlines, year-end, budgets and last-minute requests. “It strains everyone, including our marketing clients,” said Mike Leslie, Founding Partner and President. “While May is Mental Health Awareness month, support couldn’t be more needed than during the holidays.”

The reaction from clients has been overwhelmingly positive. “The more hats we can get on heads, the greater the chance of reducing the stigma of getting people to talk and getting people the help they deserve,” says Leslie.

“Wearing the hat is like a beacon – it lets the people around you know you support the cause and that you are someone they can talk to about mental health. You’re an ally who can help.”

In addition to gifting Hotline hats to clients, Full Punch and WIRTH are continuing a marketing push to sell more hats and support more people through the holidays. Together, we can help provide sessions to those in need and improve the industry we love. Buy a hat. Give a chat. hotlinehat.com

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