Case Study

#IWillListen

Turning the world's biggest social network into the world's largest support network.

From school shootings to the rise in suicide, mental illness is an epidemic. Today, 1 in 4 Americans are affected. With numbers like that, it is our friends, family and loved ones who are suffering, whether we know it or not. But the stigma is so great, they often do so in silence. Because of this silence, they don't get the help they need. Three simple words can make the difference: I Will Listen. 

The campaign, on behalf of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is spreading. Facebook likes are up 3000%. More than 40 other non-profit groups have joined I Will Listen. And over a dozen Universities have activated the campaign on their campuses.

Television

Just as we often don't know who is suffering, it's not immediately visible that many of us have an intimate understanding of the issue and are willing to help. In this series of spots people explain why they will listen. 

Social

The heart of the campaign is letting your friends know you are willing to listen. To do so, simply post any form of content to your social channels with the hashtag #IWillListen.

Turning those social posts into a long-term resource, we track their use via an app on our Facebook page. It lets people who like our page see who, among their Facebook friends, have used the hashtag and thus declared themselves an open, safe person to reach out to.

Website

The IWillListen.org website explains the issue and what we're doing about it. The site offers resources and education programs available from NAMI. Guidance for College Campuses, Workplaces and Cities helps groups get involved and host their own #IWillListen events. 

Credits

ROLE: Creative Direction  TEAM: Howard Lenn, Andrew Curtis, Ben Morejon