Movember launches new campaign, MMDCCCXXiii years in the making via Dentsu Creative NZ

Dentsu Creative NZ has launched a new campaign for Movember to raise awareness for men’s mental health.

“How often do you think about the Roman Empire?”

That was the question that triggered a viral trend on Tiktok where women across the globe were discovering that the men in their lives thought about the Roman Empire, on a surprisingly regular basis. F1 champions, PGA golf pros and Hollywood celebrities were all confessing their Romanic daydreaming.

So, to help get men talking about their mental health, Movember partnered with a series of unexpected influencers: Marcus Aurelius, Augustus, Agrippina, Tacitus and Julius Caesar.

The idea was to flip the viral sensation with a simple thought – If he’s not thinking about the Roman Empire, think about checking in with him.

Says Stevie Weber, chief strategy officer, Dentsu Creative: “Campaigns for men’s mental wellness often encourage men to check in and chat with their mates, but research showed Kiwi men aren’t even thinking about their mental health – so it felt like a big ask to get them talking about it. Many men find the question ‘how are you feeling?’ difficult to ask a mate or respond to, but more women feel comfortable broaching the topic. This year we wanted to engage women and help them prompt the men in their life to think about their mental health.”

Like a good Testudo shield formation the campaign covered the conversation on all sides with the Romans creating duets, stitches, video comments, and announcements that followed along as the trend moved from the men admitting how often they thought about the Roman Empire to women revealing what their own unique Roman Empire was.

Says Rob Longuet, creative director, Dentsu Creative: “Our Roman influencers were generated with the help of AI imaging, vocals, and animation, which enabled our creatives to respond quickly and evolve with the trend. Thankfully they’re yet to become self-aware, so thus far we remain in control.”

Says Rob Dunne of Movember: “While what we ask our Mo Bros and Sisters to do each month hasn’t changed significantly in the last 20 years, how to reach them is probably the most dynamic aspect of building our campaign each year. Truly utilising Tik Tok for the first time was an acknowledgment that you must go where young men are and talk in a language they understand. In 2023 that meant AI generated Romans and the activity has exceeded my expectations.”

So if a man you love is not thinking about the Roman Empire and how they created many of the things you enjoy today – tabloids full of industry gossip for example, then check in with him this Movember.

Movember
Dentsu Media
Dentsu Creative
The Roman Empire