Monday, October 10, was World Mental Health Day.
Mental Health Australia - a not-for-profit organisation representing the mental health sector in Australia - led the campaign in Australia, encouraging Australians to focus on “Awareness, Belonging, Connection”:
- Raising awareness: learning about mental health and wellbeing, and ways to care for yourself and others.
- Finding belonging: looking out for each other, and understanding that however we feel, we’re not alone.
- Staying connected: finding services and supports that help foster mentally healthy practices.
World Mental Health Day is an initiative of the World Federation for Mental Health to raise public awareness of mental health issues worldwide and social media platforms, broadcasters and agencies all undertook initiatives to recognise the event.
Days off for mental wellness
Publicis Groupe and OMD Australia gave staff Monday off in recognition of World Mental Health Day. GroupM gave their people Friday 7th October off as an opportunity for a mental break, in addition to WPP providing a four-day ‘Making Space – Agency Timeout’ weekend back in July.
Publicis: "This is to recognise that taking a break from work to refocus and reflect, can be absolutely essential to our wellbeing. Our people can spend it however they wish, and to do whatever works best for them."
OMD: "We have been encouraged to spend this day in a way that supports our mental wellness. World Mental Health Day marks the start of Mental Health Week and we have a range of activities planned throughout the week at OMD to encourage further conversation and education around mental health."
Snapchat's campaign and content targeted at helping younger users
Snapchat has rolled out in-app initiatives to foster the mental health and wellbeing of the Australian Snapchat community, particularly its younger users. More than 7 million Australians use Snapchat everyday, reaching over seven million people in Australia – 90% of 13-24 year olds and 75% of 13-34 year olds.
Included among the suite of new bullying prevention and mental health campaigns and resources:
- An in-app campaign with PROJECT ROCKIT, helping give Snapchatters tactics for responding to bullying with a Lens, Filter and Stickers.
- New in-app ‘Here for You’ content created with local experts headspace National Youth Mental Health Foundation, and ReachOut, covering topics like being a good friend, tackling stress, and maintaining a healthy headspace. ‘Here for You’ was launched in 2020, providing in-app support to Snapchatters who may be experiencing a mental health or emotional crisis, with links to relevant resources and exercises to help people cope with such concerns.
Lucy Thomas, co-founder and CEO of Project Rockit, said: "As Australia's youth-driven movement against (cyber)bullying, PROJECT ROCKIT is proud to team up with Snap to build meaningful in-app resources to empower teens to challenge bullying. "
Through the use of Augmented Reality, this new lens, filter and stickers does so much more than "teaching" teens about (cyber)bullying by actually giving them the opportunity to practice strategies to make a difference when someone needs it most."
Tracey Campbell, Director of Marketing for ReachOut, said: “ReachOut is proud to partner with Snap on the ‘Here For You’ portal because we know that social media plays a huge part in the lives of so many teenagers across Australia.
"The more teens that are aware of and access the support resources that are available on Snap the better.”
SBS launches multilingual portal for multicultural and First Nations Australians
SBS has launched Mind Your Health, an online content portal featuring articles, podcasts and videos in multiple languages, aimed at sharing the rich diversity of cultural knowledge and experiences across communities and showing pathways to support improving the mental and physical wellbeing of all Australians.
This follows the success of SBS’s multilingual Coronavirus portal launched in March 2020, which has received 11 million unique Australian visits accessing trusted, in-language information throughout the pandemic, from updates on changing restrictions to the vaccine rollout.
Mind Your Health targets culturally diverse and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander audiences, with key focus on 10 languages – Arabic, Cantonese, English, Filipino, Hindi, Korean, Mandarin, Punjabi, Spanish, and Vietnamese – plus bespoke content for specific communities.
David Hua, director of audio and language content for SBS, said: “There’s such a diversity of traditions, experience and knowledge about health and wellbeing amongst Australia’s multicultural and First Nations communities.
“SBS’ Mind Your Health portal aims to share these stories in our audience’s preferred languages to show what’s needed and what works to benefit the health and wellbeing of all Australians. This includes combating prejudice and stigma, as well as improving the visibility of pathways to support and assistance.”
The portal will be updated regularly and serve as a hub for in language health and wellbeing content from across SBS and National Indigenous Television (NITV).
It features SBS’ “Great Minds” meditation and mindfulness podcast, which shares practices such as Filipino Hilot, Japanese forest bathing, Hawaiian Ho'oponopono and is now available in Arabic, Cantonese, Hindi, Mandarin and Punjabi; a video on the “early signs of mental illness”; and information on Australia’s mental health services in language.
Bullfrog Media partners with KIC for World Mental Health Day
Bullfrog Media joined forces with leading health and wellness brand - KIC - to execute an OOH moment that showcases the KIC social community’s personal and unfiltered words of love, designed to be that special source of support and resilience for those who need it.
Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at adnews@yaffa.com.au
Sign up to the AdNews newsletter, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for breaking stories and campaigns throughout the day.