Dentsu Aegis Network’s latest campaign urges High Schools to let kids participate in Movember
This year’s Movember campaign was proudly grown by The Dentsu Aegis Network. BC&F Dentsu, Carat, MKTG and Amnet created ‘The Right to Grow’ targeting High Schools with clean shave rules.
Confronted by the worst rates of male youth suicide in the world, the campaign aims to start a men’s health conversation earlier. The campaign creative centers around an open letter to principals asking for ‘clean shave’ rules to be relaxed for the month;
You can give them the chance to grow, not just a moustache, but a healthy mindset.
Says Mike Stalker, creative director: “It doesn’t seem fair that those most at risk are not allowed to participate in Movember. Getting these guys to talk about their issues when they’re young, gives us the best chance of real change.”
Firstly the letter was distributed directly to 178 schools, along with a downloadable poster to support schools to get the message out to students. Copies of the letter were then shared with nationwide news media, and a targeted Facebook campaign drove the conversation online. Full page press ads then appeared in all major newspapers, featuring the letter on the principals desk and inviting the public to have their say. This was all supported by nationwide OOH and digital media campaign featuring the 2017 global Movember brand creative.
Says Jacquie Bennett, head of strategy, Dentsu Aegis Network: “Mental health is a serious issue in New Zealand and it is too often ignored. Every year we search for new ways to generate talk ability for Movember, which has becoming increasingly challenging as the charity sector is so cluttered now. The Movember Foundation is also one of the many clients that we work on across our group, from strategy to creative, PR and media, so we had a big integrated think tank to draw on and a lot of people power to make this happen.”
Initial results indicate the Right to Grow campaign has been successful in generating over 30 news hits, including several television and radio impressions. Registrations are up with a solid 25% increase in 15-19 year old participants, and a significant 40% YOY increase in donations has been achieved to date.
The entire campaign was delivered as a pro bono initiative for the Movember Foundation and all media placement was donated by media owners free of charge.
The copy in the letter reads:
To the 178 New Zealand schools with a clean-shaven policy,
We are writing to you today, because we need your help.
We believe you have the power to help save young men’s lives with one simple act;
Make an exemption to your school rules, and let your students grow moustaches for a month.
This November, men across New Zealand will be growing mos to show their support for men’s health and wellbeing. But many young men at school are not allowed to participate because of rules which prohibit the growth of facial hair.
This isn’t about giving your students the chance to look cool, it’s about starting a conversation.
Women are encouraged from a young age to be open about their feelings. But for men, there’s an expectation that talking about their health is some sort of weakness, that they should just ‘man up’.
As a result, we’re losing many of them far too young. New Zealand has the highest rate of male suicide in the world.
We have to get young men talking to each other, and their refusal to do so is, in many ways, more toxic than any disease.
That’s why November exists. For the month of November, men sport moustaches for prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health, suicide awareness, and other health issues affecting men. These hairy badges are a way for men to open up conversations and inspire change in their own, uniquely male, way.
Allowing students at your school to participate in November is an incredible opportunity to get young men, together as one, talking about issues that are affecting their lives, and creating some real change.
You can give them the chance to grow, not just a moustache, but a healthy mindset.
Let’s get them wearing moustaches on the sports field, in the classrooms, the corridors, and facing each other man to man, mo to mo, to change the face of men’s health.
Credits: Ament Digital Team: Linda Quach, Ryan Marsland
BC&F Dentsu Creative Team: Tom Anderson and Will Towle, Creative Director, Mick Stalker
Carat Media Team: Bella Ericson, Nash Save, Jess Lim, Dan Cho, Adam Negus, Devon Mcleod
Dentsu Aegis Network Strategy Team: Jolene D’Souza and Jacquie Bennett
MKTG PR Team: Sophie Gleason, Kristina Briks Villadsen and Fleur Skinner