Scripting a strong mental health film
We were delighted to be approached by Brambles to produce a film to mark World Mental Health Awareness Day.
Brambles is a supply-chain logistics company that shares and reuses pallets, crates and containers – the things we need to ship goods around the world.
It’s a circular business model designed to make supply chains more efficient by reducing operating costs and demand on natural resources. It’s fast-moving and always on, shipping the consumer goods, fresh produce, beverages, and stuff we need.
Brambles recognises that safety begins with a healthy mindset.
Back in 2022 they surveyed their people, and identified four key themes to guide activities that would help them Feel Good: supporting healthy habits, mental health and resilience, sleep, and nutrition. This was documented as part of the Sustainability Report.
One commitment Brambles made was a commitment to more learning resources on their Academy site. These were grouped under the four pillars of financial, mental, physical and social health.
But how do you make people reach out for the help and materials they need.
For that you need some powerful and compelling communications.
We reached the conclusion that a campaign needed to do three things:
Make people feel capable = Reach out – take the first step and access help
Encourage people to seize the opportunity = Open up – there are people to talk to
Make clear the motivation = You matter – why you should do this
Watch the Film Now
According to 8 studies we’ve examined there are 3 barriers that prevent people from opening up about mental health.
- Stigma and fear of judgement
- Difficulty expressing what they mean when it comes to mental health
- The need to know that they can achieve success
Each of these is a barrier that can be overcome if people believe in the step they are about to take.
In this paper from the University of Dundee building confidence is identified as a critical step when it comes to helping people address their mental health. It’s why we feel the three parts of the call to action are so important.
Open up. Reach out. You matter.
Of course, that call to action is fuelled by powerful communications. Which is where contextual narrative comes in.
In the film we produced with Brambles, we did all we could to hold back from the punchline. It would be too easy to write a script that over-delivered through words. When making films, it’s about what the viewer sees and the natural sounds they hear. This fills in the narrative. As a client, never judge a proposed film based on its script alone.
The first draft of this film was twice the length it is now. It could have been shorter still. The words you use should only be included if they are adding value to the images and sounds being created as well.
In the end, we created what we think is a powerful piece. You can share it on LinkedIn via Brambles own post.