The campaign increased understanding and recognition of NYC 988 as a local, judgment-free resource.
Bellweather led research, strategy, and design for the first large-scale, Vibrant-led NYC 988 awareness campaign in collaboration with the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. The campaign included social media and programmatic assets as well as out-of-home transit and in-market placements that were created in English, Spanish, and Simplified Chinese.
CHALLENGE
Bring visibility, awareness and understanding about NYC 988, the local 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline center that supports all five boroughs of the city, to as many New Yorkers as possible who are seeking meaningful support for themselves, or others, during difficult times. Our goal was to develop a platform that felt distinctly, authentically local.
APPROACH
We developed messaging that spoke to the shared, everyday realities of New York City life, from the small things like subway delays, impossible rent, and the loneliness in a crowd to larger mental health issues. That strategic thinking became the campaign’s creative concept, “It’s Okay to Say It Out Loud,” which reframed reaching out to NYC 988 as an act of courage and self-respect.
What We Delivered
Research, Strategy, Creative Design, Motion Design, Creative Transcreation
Research
Our unique 4-C audit: Company, Consumer, Culture, Competitor, plus contextual research
We surfaced recent research about mental health barriers in NYC, NYC suicide statistics, and specific risks faced by both NYC Latino and LGBTQ+ populations. Finally, we distilled our help seekers into three groups that faced unique challenges when looking for mental health support (Hesitant, Proactive, and Distrustful).
Strategy
Break through NYC’s crowded landscape to reach people who need support while educating, reassuring, and validating concerns about using a mental health hotline
It was important to explain that NYC 988 is not just for people in suicidal crisis, but is a local, NYC service staffed with peer support and skilled counselors who are ready to provide judgment-free help for a variety of challenges and emotionally-distressing situations.
Creative
A creative design to provide a visual respite that feels simultaneously real, encouraging, and calm
The photography subjects are seen within New York City, in their own environments and contexts. The city becomes part of the story, grounding each image in a real, lived moment.
Accessibility
Accessibility shaped the type and color from the start
We moved away from decorative script typography in favor of an ADA-compliant font and built the palette to meet WCAG-AAA contrast standards across text and UI elements, ensuring the campaign was legible and usable for the widest possible audience across five boroughs.
