Dark Cloud
1 in 2 men will experience a mental health disorder in their lifetime and suicide is the leading cause of death for males over 55 years of age.
Specifically, the holiday season can be a particularly hard time for those struggling. This time can bring financial pressures, isolation and loneliness, societal pressures to drink, be ‘merry’, anxiety and family triggers or conflict
We want to remind men doing it tough during this time that tailored support is available.
Silver Lining
Funded by NSW Health, Doing it Tough? is a partnership between Suicide Prevention Australia and Australian Men’s Health Forum.
Many men are dealing with additional pressures and stress at this time of the year. Collaborating with more than 30 lived experience members, the campaign raises awareness of some of these key pressures and encourages men in NSW to access support via the Doing It Tough platform.
Silver Lining were briefed on a social campaign that sought to connect with males over the festive period where addiction, family relationship challenges, financial difficulties, loneliness and anxiety can be heightened. The strategy was to normalise some of the feelings some men may be feeling by using simple language that didn’t alienate.
Christmas language was used to flip how the season pushes positive and jolly messages when we sometime feel the opposite. In addition emojis were used to visually convey these feelings. Many men (especially those isolated rurally) use messaging platforms as a primary form of communication, so emojis were used intentionally to represent stresses.
Silver Lining Agency
Animation: Ray Matsen
