Mental health. Just as important as physical health! And more and more, we see that brands and people are talking about mental health as something extremely important for our well-being. Here in Europe where we live, we see some companies and brands that have already taken the initiative to launch campaigns or products that encourage people to talk about their mental health and deconstruct the taboo that exists regarding this topic. And this is also a reality that happens in Brazil. Below, we tell you a little more about this subject, giving examples of companies that serve as reference when it comes to mental health!
In July 2023, London had its pride parade, where United Airlines was the main sponsor of the event, showing us a great example of how to take care of the mental health of the LGBTQ+ group. In fact, a group in which half of the people have experienced depression and three in five have had anxiety. The company served as support at the parade and prioritized honoring these people. No wonder it achieved a 100% rating on the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index.
Another great example of a company that recognizes the importance of this issue is Spaces, an organization that is part of the IWG Network, the largest group of coworking and hybrid locales in the world. In fact, it is the same company responsible for running our London office! Spaces' famous hybrid work approach guarantees many benefits for workers, including more flexibility to organize their routine, more time to connect in person with office colleagues, and a better opportunity of mixing online and in-person. All of this increases employee well-being and productivity, and certainly contributes to a positive psychological impact.
“Stress is rising and employers have a genuine responsibility to look after their staff. A hybrid approach gives people the freedom to work in a way that suits them.”
Another example of a company that is leading this mental health issue is Dove, which ran an unforgettable campaign targeting eating disorders to combat the impact of toxic beauty on women. Some videos of this campaign, available on the internet, were even stronger, but they show a reality that exists and that must be addressed. In fact, Dove, at the beginning of its website, writes: "For more than a decade, we have worked to make beauty a source of confidence, not anxiety. And that journey continues." In other words, everything indicates that this journey or battle of awareness is and will continue to be present in their communication, showing how important this topic is in our society.
In Lisbon, there is a festival called Mental. It was created by the NGO Safe Space Portugal. Mental is in its 7th edition and under the motto “Think.Speak.Know.React”, it uses the platform of culture as its basis for disseminating information about mental health. Through literature, cinema, music, theater and debates, this festival addresses different themes and also different audiences – from the person who is going through some difficulty, as well as those who follow and know someone who is.
During Mental, the topic of mental health is discussed in different places, with different themes and forms, in order to attract the largest number of people. And some local brands, such as radio brands - RFM, Antena 1 and Antena 3, also support this initiative, making specific content available on their channels.
Dealing with this topic that is so important and close to us, of course we couldn't leave without talking about one of our clients, Libbs! We have a long history with the company, full of accomplishments and events. Libbs has always been very vocal when it comes to mental health, demonstrating genuine concern about the importance of raising awareness on this issue. In 2016, the company created a program, called “Falar Pode Mudar Tudo”, whose central objective is to end prejudice and fear of speaking out about mental illness. Furthermore, they seek to welcome people who are going through a more delicate moment: be it a patient or someone close to them. This program has been growing in importance and size every year, engaging more and more people to talk about their experiences in order to share paths and ways to help. In fact, Jaime and Cecília Troiano recently mentioned Libbs on the CBN program, “Sua Marca Vai Ser Um Sucesso,” with Milton Jung, expressing their respect for the company, especially during Yellow September, a month that reinforces suicide prevention. Jaime and Cecília view this issue very seriously, encouraging companies and brands to reduce the stigma of mental health, thus breaking the silence that exists around this issue. With her experience as a psychologist, Cecília wisely summarizes her thoughts during the program:
“Today’s lesson is to encourage more brands to join causes, after all, brands have an entry into people’s lives and can use this prestige for the benefit of society and not just to sell.”
As we like to say at TroianoBranding, people are brands too, and that's why we didn’t fail to notice that celebrities have also used their spotlight to talk about mental health. Lewis Capaldi, Ariana Grande, and even tennis player Naomi Osaka made this inspiring move, exposing their anguish and internal battles to the public. Now imagine if we had the same openness to talk about our mental health, as we do today, in past times. Maybe we wouldn't have lost loved ones close to us. We’re glad the world is changing in that sense!
Whether in Europe or Brazil, mental health has never been so prominent within companies, events, chats, and in marketing campaigns. This is very good news for us, and I hope for you too, dear reader, to finally get rid of the stigma that exists in approaching this topic. And, from this openness, I believe we can be a more empathetic society, and certainly a much happier one. We will have the chance to go step by step, without missing any checkpoints, paying attention to the most precious asset we have: our health. As the great Antonio Machado said… “wanderer, there is no road, the road is made by walking.”