Raising Funds and Public Awareness About Mental Illness
This multimedia advertising campaign for the Canadian Psychiatric Research Foundation (CPRF) was created to reduce the social stigma associated with mental illness. The ads target the misperception that mental illness is not a real disease, but a character flaw or personal weakness. They position mental illness as a legitimate medical disease that needs to be treated with as much seriousness as cancer or heart disease. Just as one wouldn’t dismiss cancer, one shouldn't dismiss mental illness.
The CPRF is committed to raising public awareness about mental illness and to funding the research needed to find a cure. The CPRF needs support for this worthy cause - for without our help, the research could stop. In the spirit of this cause, Vickers and Benson Arnold Worldwide teamed up with the CPRF to create the entire multimedia campaign pro bono. Joining them in this effort were the following organizations, who generously donated all media space and airtime.
Communications:
Vickers & Benson Arnold Advertising
vbdi
wideframe
Southside Studios
Radke Films
Powerhouse Casting
School Editing
Crush
Manta
Keen Music
Guerilla TV
Warwick Public Relations
Thompson Lightstone & Company
*Thanks also to all the film crew, actors, stunt coordinators and ACTRA
for generously donating their time, talent and support.
Legal Counsel:
Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP
Media:
CanWest Global Communications Corp. (print, tv and online support)
Rogers Media Inc. (print, radio and tv support)
Toronto Star Newspapers Ltd.
The Globe & Mail Ltd.
Time Canada Ltd.
Canadian Business Media Ltd.
Relevant Communications Inc.
Multi-Vision Publishing Inc.
TransContinental Yorkville
Grassroots
Print Ads
Ad copy: Imagine if we treated everyone like we treat the mentally ill.
Shocking, isn’t it? But it’s true. People simply don’t take mental illnesses
seriously. They assume that those with mental illness are weak or somehow
at fault for their suffering. But like heart disease or any other serious
affliction, people with mental illness can’t get better by themselves. The
Canadian Psychiatric Research Foundation raises money to research mental
illnesses in the hope of finding cures. Still, research into these diseases,
which strike 1 in 5 Canadians, remains drastically underfunded. And that’s
as unsettling as the headline. We need your help. If you can, please give.
Call 1-800-915-CPRF or visit www.cprf.ca
Ad copy: Imagine if we treated everyone like we treat the mentally ill.
Shocking, isn’t it? But it’s true. People simply don’t take mental illnesses
seriously. They assume that those with mental illness are weak or somehow
at fault for their suffering. But like heart disease or any other serious
affliction, people with mental illness can’t get better by themselves. The
Canadian Psychiatric Research Foundation raises money to research mental
illnesses in the hope of finding cures. Still, research into these diseases,
which strike 1 in 5 Canadians, remains drastically underfunded. And that’s
as unsettling as the headline. We need your help. If you can, please give.
Call 1-800-915-CPRF or visit www.cprf.ca
