Love, Your Mind: Behind the Ad Council and FCB’s Far-Reaching Mental Health Initiative
The US is in the grips of a mental health crisis. Almost 70 million of its adults that are likely to struggle with mental health won't consider seeking help because of reasons such as their beliefs, stigma, a lack of access to resources and financial insecurity.
A new campaign launched last week by the Ad Council and Huntsman Mental Health Institute marks one of the most comprehensive communications initiatives around mental health ever launched in the US. Created by FCB New York and Chicago, 'Love, Your Mind' was developed with the help of extensive market research to resonate with each of the aforementioned 70 million likely to experience mental health challenges.
The campaign will release multiple national PSAs designed to resonate with specific audiences among the 70 million, beginning with content tailored for Black men and for Hispanic men (in both English and Spanish), who are overrepresented among this group. The launch film was directed by Calmatic, whose delicate hand inspires viewers to nurture their relationship with their minds the same way they care for their closest personal relationships. It was co-produced by project3 and PRETTYBIRD.
'Love, Your Mind' offers free mental health resources on LoveYourMindToday.org, or ConAmorTuMente.org in Spanish. The websites help individuals explore specific emotions and scenarios that can affect their mental health, along with suggesting self-care strategies and coping practices.
Countless organisations and people donated time and resources to the campaign, more of which you can find out about in the news story here. But, to find out more about the strategic, creative and production processes, LBB's Addison Capper spoke with Rocki Hunter, SVP group management director at FCB Chicago, Mike Williams, SVP, executive creative director at FCB New York, and PRETTYBIRD director Calmatic.
LBB> To get started, what can you tell us about the state of mental health and access to treatment in the United States?
Rocki> Mental health is at an all-time low across all cross-sections of America. Unlike many other social ills our society wrestles with, mental health doesn’t discriminate based on socioeconomic factors. And while we are all susceptible to mental health challenges, attitudes about mental health care is where the disparities are striking. Black and Hispanic men are overrepresented among those who are more likely to struggle with their mental health, but they are more likely to hold attitudes and beliefs that discourage them from seeking help. This campaign was created to provide tools and resources that normalise caring for your mental health amongst that demographic while erasing any stigmas associated with doing so.
LBB> What kind of research fed into the creation of this campaign? And what did you discover along the way?
Rocki> The Ad Council commissioned a significant amount of research, both qualitative and quantitative, but a key segmentation study helped us to understand the core barriers that were getting in the way of people working on their mental health – challenges like stigma, discrimination and generational trauma. Once we understood their barriers, we aligned to a key insight that propelled our work forward - that our core audience valued success in life even more than others. Success to them was things like doing and feeling their best selves and providing for others. This insight helped us develop the main idea – focusing on how far you can go when you work on your mental health.
LBB> According to the launch press release, "The message of 'Love, Your Mind' inspires individuals to nurture their relationship with their minds the same way they care for their closest personal relationships.”. What inspired this approach?
Mike> The approach was inspired by the strategy: your mind is your most valuable asset to success. Once we uncovered that our audience defines success as having close relationships with family, friends, and coworkers our pathway toward reaching them became clear. We intentionally focused on the benefits of taking care of your mind. On creating stronger bonds with those you love and putting your life on the trajectory you ultimately want to go.
LBB> The target audience for this campaign is so vast. How did you deal with this during the creative and production processes? Plus, can you tell us a little more about the initial focus on Black and Latino men, and why this group is underrepresented when it comes to mental health help?
Mike> The target audience is indeed vast; but the idea has the ability to scale broadly. The beauty of the idea lies in its flexibility to speak directly to niche audiences and deliver our message in a culturally relevant manner because it’s grounded in truth. The campaign has withstood the rigours of testing by diverse cross-sections of the intended audience, been authenticated in its accuracy by healthcare professionals and scrutinised by those with lived experiences to ensure its longevity and resonance.
As far as focusing on Black and Latino men, they are underrepresented when it comes to seeking help for mental health. The reasons why are as diverse as the Black and Latino men themselves, like a substantiated distrust of the medical profession and healthcare industry, lack of resources, an acceptance that ‘it is what it is’, that you ‘don’t have the luxury to deal with how you feel’, generational stigma, generational trauma, and just an overall lack of understanding of the benefits of supporting your mental health. As you can see it was imperative to begin this initiative with them.
LBB> Why was Calmatic the right director to bring that vision to life?
Mike> There are a number of reasons Calmatic was right. We wanted someone that was part of the audience we were trying to reach. Secondly, Calmatic doesn’t present himself as just a director but as one person within a team of like-minded individuals that are open to collaborating and doing what’s right for the initiative. He brought a calm to the process while understanding the gravity of what we were trying to accomplish.
LBB> Calmatic, why was this project something you were keen to lend your hand to?
Calmatic> I’ve always wanted to work with the Ad Council. To me, their spots cut through the noise of advertising because they are promoting issues that revolve around real life, things that make you slow down and assess the present moment, and it feels good to create something that adds to their legacy.
LBB> Considering the subject matter, the film could feel and look so different. It's beautiful! When it came to that visual style, what were your main aims and ambitions?
Calmatic> I wanted to capture raw moments without any distractions whatsoever. That's why the camera doesn't move, and the subjects are right in your face – front and centre. The goal was to put our viewers as close as we could to each hero so they could breathe and feel what it’s like to be in their shoes.
Mike> Everything about this idea was intentional. We intentionally led with empathy. Talked about what is and what could be. We acknowledged the work our audience is putting in already to help themselves. We approached people as they are. Recognising that they exist, have a voice and something of value to share. That they are not alone in how they feel. These intentions determined the look, feel, and voice of the campaign. Everything was intended to honour them, show them in a dignified manner and bring light to the journey ahead of them.
LBB> Mental health is notoriously difficult to speak about. How did you deal with that element when it came to the writing and craft of the film?
Mike> The aim of the entire campaign is to help people move forward. The tone is positive in its outlook. When it comes to mental health, the challenges, tribulations, and despair have been well documented. We were conscious not to focus on those themes and depict people looking forlorn and withdrawn from life. We did not want to give our audience a reason to dismiss us.
Our audience in particular needs to understand the how. How is seeking support for their mental health going to benefit them when everything that surrounds them tells them to push through how they feel. So visually what you see are people doing the best they can to cope. Every scene in the anthem film demonstrates actual mental health practices recommended for people to try – exercising, breathing, seeking professional help, talking it out. Practising them consistently can result in better relationships with your family, your friends and teammates, your mind. In terms of the writing, it’s a love letter from your mind to you. The words spoken in the beginning show appreciation for the steps you’ve taken thus far that then transition into words of inspiration that invite you ‘to see how far we can go’.
FCB, the Ad Council, and the Huntsman Mental Health Institute combined to create a diverse team that were culturally competent, shared lived experiences and were not afraid to talk about our differences and similarities to produce the work that you see before you.
Calmatic> We took a gentler approach by not forcing the viewer into making a choice. The goal was to put the ball in their court, inspire people to listen, and then make the decision that is best suited for them. That decision doesn’t have to end with therapy but it starts with acknowledging that something is going on and needs to be tended to. Hopefully this spot nudged a few people towards a certain direction.
LBB> How did you interact with the voiceover to craft the film you wanted to make?
Calmatic> The voiceover represents that voice in the back of our heads that we sometimes ignore. Our minds don't always present the best options when we are going through tough times but I think it’s important that we acknowledge it when it’s trying to tell us something.
LBB> How has working on this campaign had an impact on you personally?
Mike> Listening to the testimonies of people from all walks of life struggling with mental health was powerful, enlightening and, in a sense, spiritual. I felt a connection to them even though I’d never met any of them before. But hearing their stories and their conviction to be better gave me comfort and hope in humanity. We set out to create a platform that people understood, but more importantly, felt. I felt it. Not just in the work but the conversations I had with all those around me. It caused me to take stock of my own mental health. The things I do to maintain it and if that is enough. I became more aware of people and what they may be going through. What they do or don’t do to centre themselves. I took solace in the way the entire team supported one another throughout the process. I embraced the simple truth that no one can do it all alone.
Calmatic> This campaign is an extension of how I already see the world, it’s just heightened now. I’ve always seen people through this close-up lens and have tried my hardest to guess what their life was like and what they may be going through at any moment, both good or bad. After working on this spot, I'm doing that a lot more frequently.
