Suicide Note

Background

Suicide is the highest cause of death after road accidents for men aged between 15 and 25. CALM exists to provide a helpline (via a website and call centre) for young men who would not normally approach the Samaritans or other support groups. In addition, their aim is to raise awareness for the cause. The objective of this campaign was to encourage business people to support CALM either via donation or by co-sponsorship of the helpline.

Idea

As every business person knows, it can be lonely at the top. But fortunately few get so isolated that they take their own lives - like hundreds of lonely young men - every year. To communicate the fact that many young men die every year without leaving any explanation, a blank suicide note was mailed to female business leaders. The crumpled note read simply ‘Dear Mum’, and nothing else. The letter explained that CALM needed the recipient’s support to help suicidal young men talk. The pack also contained a booklet with more information about CALM. Another mailing was also sent to male business leaders. This consisted of an empty trainer box, with, inside, a postcard showing the view off the edge of a building onto the road below from the young man’s perspective and the line, ‘You wouldn’t want to be in his shoes’.

Results

Several major youth-oriented organisations have got involved already, including MTV, Topman and the organisers of Glastonbury Festival.

Target Audience

Business women in industries for whom young men are a key audience, such as banks, music companies, clubs etc.

Size

10 per month

Our Thoughts

Of the two mailings to business leaders, we thought the ‘Evidence Bag’ idea the more compelling. The shoe box idea is based on a pun - ‘You wouldn’t want to be in his shoes’. The evidence bag, by contrast, containing a crumpled suicide note to Mum, effectively puts you in the place of the Police Officers dealing with the suicide and the parents who must cope with it.