Brief

This is Me is a business-led campaign that supports organisations, and their employees, to talk about mental health. It encourages people with experience of a mental health problem, whether their own or of a loved one, to share their stories.

Brickwall was introduced to the project when the Civil Service Leadership Academy (CSLA) got in touch, describing their new partnership with This is Me. They wanted to showcase Civil Service leaders that had encountered mental health issues and highlight the support that is available through CSLA and the Civil Service

Approach

Having filmed a range of sensitive settings with participants and scenarios, we knew there would be several points to consider when preparing the project.

From a creative perspective, we felt it would be best to let our participants’ stories be front and centre, filming them in simple, relatable settings.

At the same time, this also worked from a production point of view, as it helped to create a relaxed and easy-going location for the leaders, who were sharing their often-difficult stories. We worked with our in-house clinical support officer, Emma Selby, to provide any necessary support prior and on filming day, in addition to during the edit.

Outcomes

The films were an outstanding success throughout the organisation, with feedback including the following statements:

• "This is really excellent. I love the fact that our leaders are being completely authentic and sharing their genuine experiences."
• "So incredibly brave of you to share your story @rupertmcneil. It’s a massive step forward to breaking the stigma and raising awareness."
• "We’ve never met but great to see you write so powerfully about something so important to so many. I really think the civil service is now taking this very seriously."
• "Thank you for raising the profile of mental health awareness. Leadership in action."

These anecdotal praises were supported by many active twitter conversations throughout the launch period, as well as media coverage in industry titles, all contributing to increased views on various CSLA platforms.