Whilst many people who have experienced it might take umbrage with the idea of using humour as a coping mechanism, as someone who has lived with clinical depression for my entire adult life, I can honestly say I wouldn't have made it this far without being able to poke fun at myself. That's probably why this latest campaign for the beyondblue organisation in Australia has really struck a chord with me, and why I feel it deserves to be heralded for its honesty, wit and candour.
The “Brains have a mind of their own” campaign marks beyondblue as the first not-for-profit organisation in Australia to advertise via Snapchat
The cleverly named “Brains have a mind of their own” campaign from JWT marks beyondblue as the first not-for-profit organisation in Australia to advertise via Snapchat. The campaign is part of the company's Youthbeyondblue brand, and is designed to empower young people aged 13-18 years to respond effectively to depression or anxiety by recognising key signs and symptoms. It is exactly the kind of campaign I wish existed when I was a teenager, and it introduced me to a site, and a community that is truly doing stellar work in bringing a subject many of us choose to tip-toe around into the light.
Is your brain making it hard to sleep?
“Brains” is the first project for Youthbeyondblue by JWT, which was responsible for the creative development and all production elements. MediaCom Melbourne developed the media strategy based on key insights around the consumption and behaviours of the youth audience. Significant paid channels utilised for this audience include YouTube, mobile display and video pre-rolls, XBOX, Facebook, search and Snapchat Discover via news.com.au’s channel. Snapchat was recommended due to its popularity amongst Australian teenagers, with the platform currently seeing an engagement of over two million young Australians every day.
“Brains” is the first project for Youthbeyondblue by JWT, which was responsible for the creative development and all production elements
JWT creative director Tim Holmes, said: “We know from beyondblue’s research that the stigma associated with depression and anxiety is a huge barrier against young people seeking support. Our creative aims to show young people that it’s not them, but their brains that can be strange – it’s their brain that may cause them to think weird things, or act irrationally. It’s a simple message, working to remove the stigma from depression and anxiety and empower teenagers to identify their own symptoms and take action. We hope the campaign, which stars a pesky animated brain, will go a long way to address this issue.” beyondblue CEO Georgie Harman, added: “Too many young people hesitate to speak up when they are struggling, often because they are worried how others will perceive them. This campaign aims to show teenagers that experiencing depression or anxiety doesn’t mean they are weak or weird, it simply means that their mind is giving them a hard time, but there’s something they can do about it.”
Is your brain stopping you from going out?
The campaign is based around a trio of lightly comedic animations, which you'll find in this very article. They depict a world where teenagers are constantly disrupted, harassed, annoyed, distracted and provoked by their own brain. In each element of the campaign, the brain is intent on getting its own way, but through the darker humour shines the possibility of help and support through a site that gives young people the information, tools and confidence to seek support when they need it. Further campaign support comes from two major additions to Youthbeyondblue’s website including: a new “Brain Quiz,” which asks a series of simple questions that can help teenagers determine whether or not they are suffering from depression, and the relaunch of the Youthbeyondblue Forum.
In the coming weeks more videos will be released addressing new symptoms that may be particularly relevant to young people
In the coming weeks more videos will be released addressing new symptoms that may be particularly relevant to young people, including not enjoying the things they normally would; always feeling on edge, and worrying about what other people will think of them. The campaign will run through to July 31, 2015. Early results have been positive, with 340,000 views of the first two animated videos in the first week and visits to the Youthbeyondblue website up 206% on the same period last year. It's all very encouraging, and speaks of a genuine push towards understanding and tolerance of a disease that so many of us suffer with, and yet refuse to speak out about. Hopefully, with initiatives like this one, that might not be the case for much longer.
Is your brain making it hard to concentrate?
Benjamin Hiorns is a freelance writer and struggling musician from Kidderminster in the UK.
