Instagram celebrates Mental Health Month with Make a Move campaign in partnership with Reach Out
To mark Mental Health Month, Instagram has launched an organic content campaign with Reach Out that will see Australian content creators and personalities post a Reels video about how they ‘Make a move’ every month.
The campaign will encourage Australians to do something every day that benefits their mental health, such as practicing yoga, going for a walk, or having a dance break in the living room.
Reels is Instagram’s response to Tiktok, enabling users to create short-form videos that sample music and audio, and can be fully edited on the app. It was introduced in Australia at the start of August.
The partnership between Instagram and Reach Out has 31 creators on board, including the AFL’s official Instagram page, as well as radio host Alex Dyson, former Bachelor contestant Brooke Blurton and musician Montaigne. The content creators will be encouraging their followers to consider making a change to take care of their wellbeing. The campaign aims to raise funds that supports Reach Out’s mental health services.
Reach Out’s research states that one in four young people in Australia are currently experiencing a mental health difficulty but 70% of those are not getting the help they need.
Reach Out’s CEO, Ashley de Silva, said acknowledging your mental health was more important now than ever.
“This October, ReachOut, Instagram and an amazing group of creators are encouraging everyone across Australia to make a move in support of youth mental health,” de Silva said.
“Make A Move is a chance to have a bit of fun while helping to ensure that young people across Australia can access the help they need when it comes to their mental health. COVID-19 restrictions have had a significant impact on young people across Australia who are dealing with a range of complex issues and uncertainty, all of which can have a significant impact on their mental health. Now is a great time to get behind this cause.”
Philip Chua, Instagram’s head of public policy in APAC, said: “It’s been incredible to see Australia’s top Instagram creators come together to support the vital work of ReachOut and highlight Mental Health Month.
“We’ve been excited to see our community’s enthusiasm for Reels since we launched last month, making it the ideal platform to reach young Australians with inspiring and fun messages about wellbeing from the creators they connect with every day.”
In recent years Instagram has been working on its positioning to support mental health. Last year, Instagram took a stand on promoting healthy body image, launching a campaign in partnership with the Butterfly Foundation that promoted the stories of body-positive influencers.
The removal of publicly-visible ‘like’ figures, the introduction of anti-bullying features, and the removal of filters that made users appear as though they had received cosmetic surgery have all been attributed by the platform to its efforts to promote authenticity on Instagram.
The full list of creators involved in the Make a Move campaign includes:
- AFL official Instagram account
- Alan Tsibulya, comedian and host
- Alex Dyson, radio host, DJ and author
- Alexis Bree, body positive business owner and mother
- Alice Ivy, musician
- Alright Hey!, Australia’s self-proclaimed biggest Glamazon
- Ashleigh Ross, actress, dancer, and content creator
- Ben Blue, content creator and skin care entrepreneur
- Bridey Drake, clothing business entrepreneur and content creator
- Brooke Blurton, youth worker and mental health advocate
- Heath Kirley, comedic content creator
- JasmineTXO, dancer and content creator
- Katerina Lee Roe, Indigenous content creator
- Linda Huynh, singer, dancer and fashion content creator
- Lyndi Cohen, author and dietician behind ‘The Nude Nutritionist’
- Megan Dijkman, bisexual content creator
- Meissa Mason, Indigenous beauty creator
- Mighty Car Mods, hosts of the DIY auto and adventure show
- Montaigne, singer and musician
- Phil Ferguson, culinary-themed crochet star
- Robyn Lambird, disabled athlete and queer, non-binary content creator
- Rory Eliza, fashion, beauty and comedic content creator
- Rybka Twins, acrobat and dancer twins, Australia’s Got Talent contestants
- Sam BT, actress, dancer, singer and content creator
- Sam Perry, fashion, beauty and travel content creator
- Samantha Andrew, singer, actor, content creator and LGBTQI+ member
- Sarah Bryan, body positive activist and content creator
- Sarah Davidson, lawyer turned funtrepreneur, podcast host
- Sari Ellis, Indigenous content creator
- Sooklyn, comedic and fashion content creator
- Tarah Elizabeth, podcast host and mental health advocate
- The Naked Farmer, rural mental health advocate
- Wollie Gela, Indigenous content creator
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