The TV ad ran from January 21 – for three weeks on ITV1 and is running over the Summer for six weeks from July 13 on ITV channels and GMTV.
It shows how the stigma and discrimination surrounding mental health problems is impacting on the life of a man with a mental health problem. It shows the real impact of the negative attitudes and thoughtless comments made by friends, family and employers.
Unfortunately this happens to people with mental health problems every day. 9 out of 10 people with mental health problems say they can’t do things like going to the pub, out to the shops or have normal relationships with family and friends because of the stigma and discrimination they face. The ad is based on what people told us about their experiences of stigma and discrimination.
The Movie
This film will appear as an ad on popular websites such as The Mirror, The Sun, The Daily Mail, MSN and Yahoo. It relies on people’s fascination with the sinister to get them to reconsider their attitudes. It takes people on a journey – from a point of fear and stereotyping, all the way to realising that people with mental health problems are not in fact like the stereotypes. It also points out that it is the support of friends and family that have been the deciding factor in this man’s life.
A Kids’ Party
This works on a similar basis to ‘The Movie’, except this time people think they are about to see real footage – it will be seeded into video sharing sites such as You Tube, with the title ‘Schizophrenic man terrifes kids at party’. The concept relies on ironic humour to allow people to reconsider their attitudes without feeling like we are pointing the finger at them.
