Psychological well being amongst younger individuals is at disaster ranges. In 2017, an estimated one in 9 kids had a diagnosable psychological well being situation, however immediately, that determine has risen to 1 in 5. That’s 5 kids in each classroom.
In response, GOOD has partnered with Leerdammer and youth psychological well being charity YoungMinds to launch Discuss It Out, an initiative designed to assist younger individuals open up about their psychological well-being and discover assist.
The marketing campaign, which faucets into Leerdammer’s playful model character, makes use of humour as a gateway to critical conversations. Designed to interact younger individuals in a method that feels pure and accessible, Discuss It Out is a multi-channel activation that spans digital belongings, occasions, and college outreach. However how does a cheese model discover its place within the psychological well being dialog?
And the way did GOOD navigate the problem of balancing levity with the gravity of the difficulty? We spoke to its CEO and co-founder, Chris Norman MBE, and senior designer, Louis Cochrane, to search out out.
Discovering the precise match
GOOD Company was tasked with figuring out a social trigger that aligned with Leerdammer’s model values and resonated with its core shoppers. By way of intensive analysis and conversations with psychological well being professionals, the company noticed a chance to deal with the stigma round youth psychological well being.
“We recognized YoungMinds because the organisation that was offering the providers that might fill the hole and greatest aligned with the model character of Leerdammer,” says Norman. “Our transient was to develop an initiative that might allow Leerdammer to have a measurable impression.”
Given the model’s lighthearted, comedic tone, tackling psychological well being may seem to be an unlikely match. Nonetheless, Norman explains that humour is a confirmed approach to break taboos and open up conversations about tough matters.
He says: “A key barrier to younger individuals searching for assistance is stigma. It has been confirmed many occasions that humour is an efficient method of breaking that taboo.”
The inventive strategy
Visually and conceptually, Discuss It Out wanted to really feel youthful, participating, and genuine. Cochrane and the inventive group at GOOD Company drew inspiration from digital tradition, taking cues from social media filters, stickers, and interactive design parts.
“We needed to take a design strategy that might faucet into youth tradition,” says Cochrane. “Younger individuals immediately have creativity at their fingertips, with smartphones and social media permitting them to precise themselves in eclectic and distinctive methods.”
The result’s a marketing campaign id that feels dynamic and spontaneous. Daring typography, illustrated stickers, and shiny, eye-catching color palettes mix to create an aesthetic that speaks on to younger audiences. The marketing campaign’s visible consistency was essential, notably because it expanded throughout totally different codecs, from digital activations to occasion branding and college supplies.
“It was designed to seize the eye of younger individuals whereas additionally making certain that Leerdammer’s model had a robust presence,” Cochrane explains. “A skinny black keyline round typography and illustrations added one other layer of consistency, reinforcing the visible theme.”
Balancing humour with the sensitivity of the topic was an ongoing problem. “From the start, we knew we needed to strategy the subject material with care,” Cochrane says. “Our objective was merely to lift consciousness and level younger individuals towards useful assets, like YoungMinds, that may provide the assist they want.”
From pilot to nationwide growth
Discuss It Out launched with a pilot occasion at Bristol Grammar College, the place college students, mother and father, and educators engaged with the marketing campaign’s themes in a real-world setting. The response was overwhelmingly optimistic. “The trainer answerable for pupil welfare advised us she receives quite a few approaches to run comparable campaigns, however Discuss It Out stood out from all of them,” says Norman.
The subsequent step is growth. GOOD Company is growing a Discuss It Out marketing campaign toolkit, equipping faculties with versatile, adaptable assets to roll out the initiative in their very own method.
One sudden perception from the launch? Educators needed Leerdammer to offer cheese samples. “We’re aware to verify this isn’t a product sampling or business train,” Norman notes. “However we are going to present product samples sooner or later if requested.”
Function-driven branding in motion
For GOOD Company, Discuss It Out is emblematic of the work they’ve been doing for many years—serving to manufacturers develop significant, measurable, and aligned social impression initiatives which can be aligned with their values. “This strategy is in our DNA,” Norman says. We might concentrate on psychological well being sooner or later if it aligns with our consumer’s function, however finally, our mission is to create work that has actual impression.”
As for the way forward for Discuss It Out, its success to date means that manufacturers have an growing position in addressing urgent social points. By combining creativity, strategic partnerships, and an understanding of cultural nuances, GOOD Company has demonstrated how purpose-driven branding could make an actual distinction.
Psychological well being conversations aren’t all the time simple, however with the precise strategy, they’ll begin with a easy, lighthearted second. And, on this case, possibly even a bit of cheese.
