ITV's Britain Get Talking Continues for World Mental Health Day with Powerful Outdoor and Press Campaign

Last week ITV and STV launched a new initiative from the UK’s most recognised mental health campaign, Britain Get Talking. This time encouraging every school in the country to set a different kind of homework ahead of World Mental Health Day on Tuesday 10th October.

The homework — designed in collaboration with a psychologist and the teaching community, encouraged young people to have a proper chat with an adult they trusted about the hardest subject on their minds.

This homework task comes at a time when we’ve never needed it more — a cost of living crisis, a pandemic and troubling world events have all had a negative impact on our children’s mental health like never before — with mental health having declined in almost 40% of schoolchildren.

To build momentum on encouraging every child to complete this homework task ahead of World Mental Health Day, ITV in partnership with Uncommon Creative Studio, have released a striking out of home and press campaign presenting multiple completed homework tasks.

These hard hitting real answers — such as ‘Deforestation’, ‘War’ and ‘Inflation’ — dive into the contributing factors weighing in on the mental health crisis facing young people across the UK today.

This out of home suite launches alongside a short film featuring a cast of children from across Britain, sending a powerful rallying cry to the adults in their lives: encouraging them to “do their homework and get talking.”

The real answers for this campaign came from completed homework tasks from young people ranging between the ages of 9 and 16 years old from Kensington Primary School.

Ben Levinson OBE, exec head teacher, The Tapscott Learning Trust and Chair, Well Schools said, “Speaking to someone is a great way to relieve our stress and anxiety. Britain Get Talking is sparking a national conversation about what’s on our mind. Seeing our pupils write their answers to this homework task was a very special moment. Well Schools and The Tapscott Learning Trust are 100% behind this campaign because we know there is nothing more important than the health and happiness of our children.”

Ant and Dec have also continued to front ITV’s Britain Get Talking campaign, following on from the initial launch in 2019. The iconic duo have featured in a playful and interactive assembly film which teachers are able to use to help explain the homework to their pupils and parents or carers.

Susie Braun, director of social purpose ITV said, “ITV’s landmark Britain Get Talking campaign has led to over 100 million new or meaningful conversations since launch, but mental health having declined in almost 40% of British school children is a staunchly sobering statistic. 

“This year, we’re continuing to focus on young people, as simply asking a child what’s on their mind can be key to them opening up and easing their worries. And this is homework for the adults too, so kids can finally get their own back! Come on Britain, Get Talking.”