BLACK DOG INSTITUTE – 1 = BLACK – Depression awareness campaign

PROBLEM
As in most countries, mental health in Australia is a very stigmatised subject. Often sufferers are reluctant to seek the help they need because of embarrassment, fear of losing their job or the reaction of family and friends. The Internet provides a means by which people can seek help without others knowing. And Black Dog were quick to seize the initiative, pioneering DepEd. In order for the site to be a success, however, we would need to de-stigmatise mental health and overcome many people’s negative associations with it. As with most prejudice, this negativity came from ignorance and misunderstanding.

SOLUTION
We were as guilty of misunderstanding depression as anyone. So, we began talking to those who know most about the condition – the sufferers. During this research, one man described his plight as “like living a life without colour”. It became the central thought for the campaign. The “Paint by numbers” press and DM showed people the world through the eyes of a sufferer. It allowed them to recognise symptoms in themselves, or to better understand the condition in others. The web address then directed them to the DepEd program. Advertising a web-based service, it seemed only natural to include digital activity in the campaign. The banner was the first time Blackdog had used online advertising, and the element of interactivity it provided massively enhanced the “Paint” theme. It achieved an incredible click-through rate of 11 times the industry standard. Other executions allowed us to target specific, high-risk groups – such as the creative industries. The swatch DM was mailed to professionals in advertising, design and architecture. We also teamed up with Eckersley’s to create an ambient execution that put our message in front of an even greater number of artistic people.

RESULTS
Website visits for March rose to 140,269 – up a whopping 28% compared to the previous year. For April, the increase was even more – up 35.5% Site visits for the quarter were up 75,000 YOY. While for the YTD, visits were up 29.5% compared to 2007. The work also inspired a large number of donations, allowing Black Dog to expand their research programmes. Because part of their funding is partly donation based, it’s The Institute’s policy to keep them confidential. What they could tell us though, is that visits to the donations page increased by 593% during the period Mar – Apr (compared to the same period last year). And for Apr – May visits rose by a truly staggering 2528%. The client attributed these increases to the Paint By Numbers campaign. Incredibly, all this was achieved with a media spend of just $3000. Suffice it to say, the darkness lifted for everyone at Black Dog as the results came in.

AWARDS
2008 CAPLES AWARDS – SILVER (BANNER)
2008 AWARD AWARDS – FINALIST (BANNER)