Samaritans Selects Mother as Creative Agency

Samaritans, supported by the rail industry, has taken an important step in developing its latest suicide prevention campaign. Mother has been appointed as the creative agency, following a competitive pitch process involving multiple agencies. 

Mother will work in partnership with Samaritans to develop a new and integrated marketing awareness campaign to support and build on the success of previous campaigns. Whilst the campaign has specific objectives to reduce suicides primarily on the railway, there is an overriding responsibility to encourage help seeking amongst high-risk groups outside the rail environment in other settings and encourage them to seek help whenever they are struggling to cope by calling Samaritans free helpline number 116 123.  With the sensitive nature of the message, Samaritans and Mother will be conducting extensive research with key target audiences and stakeholder engagement throughout the development process. 

Once the campaign is developed it will be rolled out within the rail environment and beyond the railway across the UK. 

Clare Lemon, head of marketing and brand at Samaritans commented: “Samaritans are always there to offer a non-judgemental listening service, we want to bring that message to more people who may need our help. Working with Mother on this important issue, we want to use their creative skills to encourage more people who need help to seek it.”

Ana Balarin, partner at Mother added: “The challenge to encourage people to seek help, at the time they need it the most, is a humbling creative task – we’re hoping that our efforts alongside Samaritans, Network Rail and the wider rail industry can really make a difference.”