Problem Solved: Creating a 24/7 Radio Station to Support Frontline Workers
In 2022 the UK creative agency adam&eveDDB won a rare and highly coveted D&AD black pencil for ‘Hopeline19’ – a poignant campaign targeting workers in the British National Health Service (NHS), created for the psychological support charity, Frontline19. It was a unique work of creativity to suit a uniquely hard-to-stomach crisis. After over a decade of underfunding and a pandemic piling on unprecedented pressure, NHS workers had reached breaking point, with 40% suffering from PTSD.
‘Hopeline19’ is a phone line where the UK public can leave messages of love and support for the NHS. adam&eveDDB then made a film with Academy director Novemba to show the country that, while the pandemic felt like it was starting to ease off for the rest of us, NHS workers were only starting to deal with the mental health crisis that it has caused.
In March 2023, ‘Hopeline19’ moved on to the next stage to become a 24/7 radio station, ‘Hopeline Radio’, getting those supportive messages out to more healthcare workers who needed to hear it. LBB’s Alex Reeves spoke to creative directors Richard Gayton and Darren Beresford to hear more.
What We Did
In March this year, we set up Hopeline Radio: the world’s first radio station delivering public messages of support directly to frontline workers. The station runs 24/7, delivering thousands upon thousands of positive messages to those who tune in.
The Problem
Following the pandemic, NHS workers are on their knees. With no chance to recover and suffering impossible working conditions, morale amongst staff is at an all-time low.
Following the success of our 2021 campaign ‘Hopeline19’, we were sitting on 2,000+ hours of supportive messages from the British public. Messages we knew were having a transformative effect on those who listened to them. The problem was that people had to actively call the phone-line to listen. We needed to find a way to get more of the public’s support to more NHS workers, by giving them an easier way to access it.
Ideation
Having spoken to hundreds of NHS staff, we realised that one of the best ways to reach them was via the medium of radio. Healthcare workers are constantly listening to the radio in waiting rooms, break rooms, before and after their shifts. We didn’t have the budget to buy large amounts of air time, so the most efficient method of delivering all of this public support was to set up our own radio station.
Prototype and Design
First of all, we needed to work out how to set up a radio station. Digital, FM, AM…? We went to the hospitals to see how they were listening and the vast majority were listening on smart speakers. So we went digital, and started working out how to get Alexa to play ‘Hopeline Radio’ on request.
As mentioned, we’d collated over 2,000 hours worth of messages for use on the phone line. But what we didn’t have was permission to broadcast them on a radio station. So each and every person had to be contacted to get their permission. Not one person said no.
Live
Every one of the 2,000+ hours of messages needed to be vetted to make sure they were suitable for broadcast. There was no easy way of doing that. So each member of the team took their quota and listened through every single one of them. Often for hours at a time. The public’s stories were both highly emotional and inspirational. And the strength of feeling that the nation has for our NHS workers regularly brought us to tears.
With the station live, we then needed to drive NHS workers to it. So we created 27 unique radio spots, specifically targeting workers at the ends of their shifts, when they most needed to hear the support.
As well as delivering emotional support, ‘Hopeline Radio’ also drives NHS workers in need of more help, to our client Frontline19. Over the life of the campaign, we’ve seen the use of Frontline19’s therapists increase by over 1000%. And Frontline19 have now provided an extraordinary 250,000+ pro bono counselling sessions to NHS workers.
If you’d like to listen to the messages, you can do so at hopelineradio.co.uk or by asking Alexa to ‘play Hopeline Radio’.
