The ABC partnered with Cummins & Partners to raise awareness of its ‘Mental As…’ week of programming in early October which aims to kick-start a national conversation about mental health.
To do so, the agency recruited a number of artists, each of whom lives with various mental illnesses such as anxiety, depression and schizophrenia, who were asked to interpret the ABC logo through the eyes of their illness.
Head of ABC TV marketing Diana Costantini said: “Mental illness impacts nearly half of all Australians. The Australian Public Broadcaster has an opportunity to make a difference. We set out to create branding that was authentic, challenging the norm and providing a stage (or the back of a bus) for artists suffering mental illness.
“Our week long initiative is called Mental As… It’s a provocative name, for some, but from the outset we wanted to bolt towards this issue – owning it with pride, a whole lot of passion and a dogged determination to get people talking and acting on mental illness”.
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The art form the basis of the outdoor campaign which aim to alert audiences to the week of mental health oriented programming. APN donated much of the media space, including outdoor and bus backs.
Cummins & Partners chief strategy officer Adam Ferrier said “We are extremely excited with what the ABC has created and we’re proud to have contributed to this worthy cause. The entire ABC Mental As… program is extremely action oriented. We are not satisfied with just creating awareness around mental health issues – we want people to talk about the issue, or give money to support mental health research, or if they suffer mental health issues seek help.
“The artists whose work helps promote this event have been wonderful to work with and we are extremely appreciative of the beautifully insightful work they have created.”
