One of the best-done public health campaigns regarding mental health is by Australia’s Samaritans. With a dedicated team of volunteers offering mental health support through phone, text, and in person, this group has really shared a unique message: Check in on those around you and reach out for help (for yourself and others).

In a world where we often talk about brands, consumers, and profitability, there is a unique skill that people in communications and marketing have: Crafting compelling, thought-provoking stories that can leave an impact and do good.

The Samaritans in Australia have created a campaign that leaves such a strong message through their mental health campaign to take care of yourself emotionally, to genuinely ask around, and to request help when you find yourself having uncomfortable thoughts.

I believe this is a fantastic campaign because:

1. It takes you by surprise: Until the last screen, you really do not know what to expect because you think you can predict what is to come, but you really can’t.
2. Talks about a difficult topic without being preachy: This campaign touches upon mental health and suicide prevention without continuously stating the obvious. Instead, it comes from the perspective of care and empathy.
3. Strong and simple call to action: It first starts with a simple message: To check in on people around you, and genuinely ask how they are doing. In an era of fast fashion and rapid scrolling, we truly need to spend time and ask authentic questions.

In a series of ‘Marketing for social good’ posts, I hope I can inspire some of you to use your unique craft and voice to leverage marketing to genuinely make this world and people’s inner world a happier place.