988

The gap

People thought a mental health support line was a suicide hotline.

The research

We found that people would call a mental health support line, but they thought 988 was only for suicide and crisis support. They didn’t call because they figured their issues weren’t “worthy.”

The strategy

We repositioned 988 Lifeline as an always-on support service.

The creative

Our campaign, “Always there,” featured light-hearted scenes that integrated 988 into everyday situations, assuring our audience that we would be there whenever and wherever they needed to talk to someone.

The results

133 million impressions. In one year, we shifted the perception from skepticism, negativity, and resistance to one of support and gratitude. Hundreds of comments: “Amen!”, “Thank you!”, “I don’t know what I would have done without you!”