CAMH and Zulu Alpha Kilo aim to drive social change with #MentalHealthIsHealth

Cristina Blanaru Creativity, CSR

The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) has launched a powerful new campaign to rally Canadians around its new brand platform and tagline “Mental Health is Health”.  

The new brand creative developed by agency Zulu Alpha Kilo, highlights not only the devastating impact of mental illness, but the disparity in the way that people with mental illness are treated compared to those with a physical illness.

We must not stand silent when the human, the civil and the health care rights of people with mental illness are not recognized and respected

 Dr. Catherine Zahn

President and CEO CAMH

Coinciding with Mental Health Week, the new campaign launches through a number of outlets. Video elements include a 30-second TV ad directed by Caitlin Cronenberg from Untitled Films. The commercial shows a woman in a hospital bed speaking about her illness, gradually it’s revealed that she’s not in the hospital receiving treatment but rather at home alone dealing with her mental illness.

 

Zulu Alpha Kilo’s internal content studio, Zulubot, also produced a branded content series that tells the stories of three Canadians who each have experienced the gaps between the way we view physical illness and mental illness. Rabi Qureshi, who finds less support for her mental illness than her previous bouts with cancer. Lisa Boltman, who receives treatment for the physical symptoms of her eating disorder while struggling to find treatment for its mental illness origins. And retired NHL goaltender, Corey Hirsch, who struggled in silence during the heights of his NHL career.  

In out of home and on social, the campaign asks a series of thought-provoking questions like “Why do physicals cover our bodies but ignore our heads?” while encouraging Canadians to rally online around the hashtag #MentalHealthIsHealth. Other campaign elements include six- and 15-second online video, and social content.

The campaign highlights powerful stories and asks some powerful questions. CAMH is Canada’s leader in mental health research and care so we’re proud to work with them, and get people talking about mental illness as much as they talk about physical illness

Zak Mroueh

 Founder & Chief Creative Officer/CEO Zulu Alpha Kilo

To support the new brand platform and mission, Zulu was also responsible for leading the complete overhaul of CAMH.ca, including strategy, user experience, user interface design and high-level content strategy and creation. The new site merges multiple properties under a single domain, creating a new national front door for CAMH and making it easier for the public to find hospital programs and services, access mental health resources, and understand the full breadth of the issues and what they can do to get involved. Website programing was handled by MNP. Media was handled by UM and the campaign runs until August 31st.

The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) is the largest mental health hospital in Canada, and a world leader in mental health and addiction research. One of the biggest issues in Canadian care system is the perception that mental health isn’t as important as physical health, even though 1 in 5 Canadians experience a mental illness in any given year.

Credits

  • Client (Company): CAMH
  • Agency: Zulu Alpha Kilo
  • Chief Creative Officer: Zak Mroueh
  • Creative Director/Art Director: Catherine Allen
  • Creative Director/Writer: Ian Simpson, Jon Webber (website)
  • ACD/Art Director: Marcelo Mariano (website)
  • Designers: Ryan Booth, Marcelo Mariano, Jack Curtis
  • Art Director: Manali Kulkarni
  • Writer: Dylan Verwey, Peter Giffen (website)
  • Agency Producer: Jac Benoit, Teresa Bayley, Ola Stodulska, Nadaa Baqui
  • Clients: Danielle Donadio, Lori Spadorcia, Robin Rowe, Rino La Grassa, Robin Rowe, Dr. Ivan Silver, Dr. Damian Jankowicz
  • Account Team: Mike Sutton, Rob Feightner, Hillary Roberts, Violet Karbalaei, Eric Kormos, Ola Stodulska
  • Strategy Team: Tim Hopkins, Sean Bell, Heidi Philip
  • UX: Vergel Evans
  • Media Agency: UM
  • Media Agency Planner: Kate Mateer, Emily Strongitharm
  • Production House: Untitled Films (TV), Zulubot (Branded Content)
  • Director: Caitlin Cronenberg (TV), Director: Barbara Shearer (Branded Content)
  • Executive Producer: Lexy Kavluk (TV)
  • Line Producer: Jennifer Walker (TV)
  • Production House Producer: Jenna Peel (Branded Content)
  • Director of Content: Cary Smith
  • Director of Photography: Kris Bonnell (TV), James Arthurs (Branded Content)
  • Casting Facility: Ground Glass Media (TV)
  • Casting Director: Andrew Deiters (TV)
  • Editorial Company: Zulubot
  • Editor: Marissa Bergougnou (TV) Jay Baker, Max Lawlor, Robbie Haring, Kaisa Pitsi, Jarvis Alston (Branded Content)
  • Post Production Facility: The Vanity (TV), Jarvis Alston (Branded Content)
  • Executive Producer: Stephanie Pennington
  • Post Producer: Hannah Bird
  • Compositor: Michael Medeiros
  • Colourist/Transfer: Andrew Exworth
  • Audio Post Facility/Music House: Cylinder Sound
  • Audio/Music Director: Brad Nelson
  • Engineer: Joshua Mancuso (TV), Stephen Stepanic (Branded Content)
  • Photographer: Anthony Gallucci
  • Studio Artist: Anna Harju
  • Interactive Programming: MNP LLP
  • Interactive Producer: Lisa Prentiss