Lifeline in national TV push to tackle suicide prevention

Tim Burrowes

April 16, 2010 11:42

Lifeline, the crisis support service, has launched its first national TV campaign focusing on the issue of suicide prevention.

There are two executions in the “You Can Do Something” campaign, with one targeted at men under the age of 44 and the other at women aged under 34.

The community service announcements address the misconception that skin or breast cancer, road accidents or heart disease are the leading causes of death for these age groups when in fact it is suicide.

Lifeline CEO Dawn O’Neil said: “Suicide is a significant cause of death in our society yet it is hardly ever spoken about. Lifeline believes we all need to begin to discuss it more openly and look for a way we can all get involved and help prevent suicide.”

The campaign concept and script was led in-house and the ads were shot by production company Orange Whip.

Lifeline is currently working with Orange Whip on a new campaign for its annual Stress Down Day on July 23.

Meanwhile, Gavin Larkin, CEO of ad agency The Brand Shop, last year launched the suicide prevention initiative R U OK?

Tim Burrowes

Tim Burrowes is the publisher of Mumbrella and Unmade. He co-founded Mumbrella in 2008 and sister title Unmade in 2021. He's worked in the UK, Middle East, Asia & Australia and has specialised in writing about the communications world for the last 25 years. He wrote the book Media Unmade, published in 2021, and became the presenter of MediaLand on ABC Radio National in 2025.