The #mitäkuuluu suicide prevention campaign designed and delivered by Manifesto and Bob the Robot, on behalf of MIELI Mental Health Finland, won the first prize, the Golden Effie, in the Products and Services category of the prestigious Effie Awards.
Jonna Varhama, partner at Manifesto, says, “The #mitäkuuluu suicide prevention campaign was a very important project not only for the target group of the campaign, that is, everyone in Finland, but also its makers. According to the survey we launched as part of the campaign, one in two Finns knows someone how has committed or attempted suicide, so this is a topic that concerns many people on a very personal level. It was quite significant that the campaign, which genuinely changed attitudes and instigated public discussion, received recognition that matches its impact, the Golden Effie.”
The #mitäkuuluu campaign ran for the autumn season with special focus on young people, among whom the number of suicides has increased worryingly in the past few years. The campaign took creative advantage of media outlets and channels popular with young audiences. The campaign built on the stories of real-life suicide survivors, who shared their experiences with the public.
“Manifesto’s role in the campaign was to drive earned media, and in this we exceeded our own expectations many times over. The media reacted by widely featuring our survival stories, giving hope and practical advice to people in need of support. In addition, the survey we conducted alerted the Finnish public to the fact of just how common suicidal thoughts are among Finns,” Varhama says.
“More important than the media statistics, however, is the actual impact that the campaign had on suicide prevention. On World Suicide Prevention Day, 10 September, the Crisis hotline responded to 20 individual in distress, when on a normal day the number of callers is only nine on average. Each of the 20 callers calmed down during the phone call and said they were not going to go through with the suicide.
Effie Awards Finland brings recognition to the best of Finnish marketing each year. The awards competition is organised by the Finnish Association of Marketing, Technology and Creativity (MTL).
Read more about the #mitäkuuluu campaign here.