A pioneering youth mental health campaign from batyr has garnered extensive support from the media and marketing sectors, securing over $1.6 million in media value for the preventative mental health charity.
Developed by BMF, with media coordination by UM and UnLtd, the campaign has united 17 industry partners. These include oOh!media, JCDecaux, Cartology, QMS Media, Val Morgan Outdoor, Val Morgan Digital, Playground XYZ, Urban List, Val Morgan Cinema, NOVA, ARN, Acast, ATN, Nine, Paramount, Seven, and Foxtel.
The campaign, titled ‘Going Beyond Polite Responses’, challenges the cultural norm of replying with a simple ‘I’m good’ when asked about one’s wellbeing. This initiative has resulted in a 22% increase in traffic to batyr’s website and a 30% rise in organic traffic. Additionally, there has been a 6% year-on-year increase in awareness of batyr, as reported by Kantar’s brand study.
Katie Acheson, CEO of batyr, stated: “Too often, shame, embarrassment, and fear prevent young people from opening up about their mental health struggles. Our campaign urges young Australians to move beyond surface-level responses and embrace honest dialogue. It’s about empowering them to recognize their emotions and reach out for support proactively.”
Through peer-to-peer programs delivered in schools and universities nationwide, batyr has engaged with over 400,000 young people, providing them with tools and skills to navigate mental health challenges. The ongoing support from the media industry enables batyr to amplify its impact and reach more young Australians.
Sophie Bingham, Managing Partner at UM, said: “It’s been fantastic to see the industry support such a brilliant partner like batyr for another year. Our aim is to increase awareness and see overall support levels for youth mental health rise among all Australians. With rates of youth mental health challenges increasing, it couldn’t be more timely to build as much advocacy as possible through paid media for the wonderful programs that batyr run.”
Harry Stanford, Creative Director at BMF, added: “It seems we’ll do anything to avoid talking about our mental health, so just because someone says they’re fine, it doesn’t mean they are. We want young Australians to look beyond the ‘I’m goods’ and the ‘Not bads’ and read the fine print on their feelings. It’s a privilege to continue working with batyr, and hopefully this campaign will give people the nudge they need to find the help they deserve.”
Emily Long, Account Director at UnLtd, expressed gratitude for the support: “We are so grateful for the ongoing support of UM and BMF who have delivered another fantastic campaign for batyr, as well as the industry partners who provided their media inventory to drive awareness of this important message at scale. The creative will hopefully encourage more young people to go beyond polite responses and open up about their mental health.”
This collaborative effort highlights the power of the media and marketing industries in addressing crucial social issues and fostering a culture of openness and support among young Australians.
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