Adland rallies behind batyr in support of youth mental health – over $1.6m value committed
In a powerful demonstration of collective action, the media, creative and marketing industries have united with batyr to advance youth mental health conversations for the second consecutive year.
UnLtd and UM brought 17 partners across the industry together to deliver $1.67 million in media value for batyr, a preventative mental health charity.
At the heart of this year’s campaign, ‘Going Beyond Polite Responses’, the creative challenges the cultural norm of responding with a simple ‘I’m good’ when asked about one’s wellbeing.
Says Harry Stanford, creative director at BMF: “It seems we’ll do anything to avoid talking about our mental health, so just because someone says they’re fine, it doesn’t mean they are. We want young Australians to look beyond the ‘I’m goods’ and the ‘Not bads’ and read the fine print on their feelings. It’s a privilege to continue working with batyr and hopefully this campaign will give people the nudge they need to find the help they deserve.”
Says Katie Acheson, CEO at batyr: “Too often, shame, embarrassment and fear prevent young people from opening up about their mental health struggles. Our campaign urges young Australians to move beyond surface-level responses and embrace honest dialogue. It’s about empowering them to recognise their emotions and reach out for support proactively.”
The campaign led to a 22% increase in traffic to batyr’s website and a 30% increase in organic traffic. The campaign also saw a 6% year on year increase in awareness of batyr via Kantar’s brand study.
Says Sophie Bingham, managing partner at UM: “It’s been fantastic to see the industry support such a brilliant partner like batyr for another year. Our aim is to increase awareness and see overall support levels for youth mental health rise among all Australians. With rates of youth mental health challenges increasing, it couldn’t be more timely to build as much advocacy as possible through paid media for the wonderful programs that batyr run.”
Says Emily Long, account director at UnLtd: “We are so grateful for the ongoing support of UM and BMF who have delivered another fantastic campaign for batyr, as well as the industry partners who provided their media inventory to drive awareness of this important message at-scale. The creative will hopefully encourage more young people to go beyond polite responses and open up about their mental health.”
Through innovative peer-to-peer programs delivered in schools and universities nationwide, batyr has already engaged with over 400,000 young people, equipping them with the tools and skills needed to navigate mental health challenges early and often.
The ongoing support from the media industry enables batyr to amplify its impact and reach more young Australians, ensuring that youth mental health remains a priority in educational settings and beyond.
Thanks to oOh!media, JCDecaux, Cartology, QMS Media, Val Morgan Outdoor, Val Morgan Digital, Playground XYZ, Urban List, Val Morgan Cinema, NOVA, ARN, Acast, ATN, Nine, Paramount, Seven and Foxtel for their support of the campaign.
For more information on how batyr is making a difference, visit batyr’s website here.