For Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month, a number of Publicis agencies have teamed up with men’s mental health charity HUMEN to create a new campaign, asking the question: Ever feel like the world is closing in on you?
The Closing In campaign, crafted in partnership with Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness, Langland, and Prodigious, aims to shed light on the daily pressures faced by men and emphasises the vital importance of open conversation.
Outernet London on Tottenham Court Road was chosen to showcase the campaign, as it is Europe’s largest digital exhibition space. In a 30-second display on 4-story billboards, the images depict actors in a high-end shoot, followed by the camera closing in, symbolising the transition from isolation to connection.
Behind the scenes, the campaign addresses a sobering statistic — 74% of suicides are men, with 12 men taking their own lives daily in the UK.
The campaign includes British acting talent: 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)
Nanda Marth, Creative Director of Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness, said, ‘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.‘
Closing In aims to encourage men to open up about mental health and directs them toward HUMEN Spaces — anonymous and non-clinical spaces for men to talk, listen, and connect on a regular basis.
The billboard campaign will run at Outernet London between 19 November and 30 December.
Featured image: Closing In campaign