Publicis agencies create bold new campaign for men’s mental health charity HUMEN, asking the question: Ever feel like the world is closing in on you?

• From 19th November, British acting talent will be seen across giant billboards, 4-storeys tall, at Outernet London on the corner of Charing Cross Road and Tottenham Court Road
• Over the course of 30 seconds, the billboard closes in around the actors until their faces are pressed against the glass
• The shot ends with the men looking vulnerable and confused
• 74% of all suicides are men and 12 men take their own lives every day in the UK
• The campaign aims to help men open up about their mental health, and drive them towards the HUMEN Spaces for men to talk, listen and connect on a regular basis
• Featuring: Cyril Nri (Bridgerton, Cucumber), Tom Rhys Harries (White Lines, Unforgotten), Sean Teale (Skins, Reign), Royce Pierreson (The Witcher), Harry Collett (House of the Dragon), River Hawkins (The Pope’s Exorcist and founder of HUMEN)
• Publicis agencies (Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness, Langland and Prodigious) all gave their time to support the cause.

HUMEN, the mental health charity leading a movement to improve and maintain men’s mental health, and to change the face of what it means to be a man, launches the campaign as part of Men’s Health Month. It also comes ahead of The HUMEN Space 1:1 project. This new venture will allow the charity to provide beneficiaries with 3 months of free therapy, which equates to 14 hours. This is currently more than the NHS, which is normally between 6 to 12 hours of therapy. There is also a long waiting time for the NHS services, currently standing at 6 to 18 weeks. Funds will be raised for this initiative via a collection of t-shirts, costing £30 with all profits going to the charity. Buying just one t-shirt will help save 10 men who are struggling with their mental health.

The concept of the billboard campaign, crafted in partnership with Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness, was to showcase what looked like a celebrity taking part in a high end fashion shoot, presented in black and white, like many are. However the world soon starts closing in on the men in the billboard, until their faces are painfully crushed up against the glass with them unable to breathe. The powerful videos and imagery aims to shed light on the daily pressures faced by men, and emphasises the vital importance of open conversation. Outernet London, a new entertainment, culture and art district in the West End was selected as it includes the largest digital exhibition space in Europe. The area also has a 223,000 daily footfall, with a 85,000 footfall inside the district’s Now building.

River Hawkins, the founder of HUMEN, said, “I wanted to create a campaign that defies the narrow confines of traditional masculinity and shed light on the universality of mental health. Communicating that mental health is an inherent part of everyone’s journey, that we all have to manage and invest in. Shifting the narrative, and highlighting the personal impact of mental health rather than attributing it to conscious decisions. I wanted to evoke a sense of vulnerability, steering away from the antiquated perceptions of what it means to be a man. It’s about redefining the conversation in a new way and emphasising that vulnerability and challenges are not exclusive to a particular gender but are shared human experiences.”

Nanda Marth, Creative Director of Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness, added, “This has been a wonderful collaborative effort with so many people and organisations giving their time and expertise for such an important cause. So proud that our sister Publicis agencies, Langland and Prodigious, immediately put their hands up to help us deliver this powerful message. ”

ADOT Foundation, said, “ADOT Foundation proudly supports HUMEN’s powerful awareness campaign “Closing in” by donating airtime on Outernet London’s cutting-edge VISTA screens. ADOT hopes that this platform will create a shift in perspective of what it means to be a man and will amplify HUMEN’s important message “open up to us” ADOT spotlights pressing issues of today and proudly promotes Men Mental Health awareness.””

The billboard campaign will run at Outernet London between 19^th November and 30^th December. The charity t-shirts for The HUMEN Space 1:1 project cost £30 and can be bought from www.wearehumen.org

To learn more about the HUMEN Space 1:1 project go to www.wearehumen.org

Source: Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness

  ADOT Foundation, Advertising, Campaign, HUMEN, Marketing, Mental Health, Publicis, Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness, UK