#MTMM Mental Health Awareness Campaign

I Am More Than My Mood

Out of a need to reduce generational stigma around mental health and to spread awareness about the impacts of stress, anxiety and depression, the Youth Mental Health Coalition decided to create an awareness campaign specifically for youth and families in the Greater Springfield area.


To ensure the receptivity of the campaign, we knew we would have to include our Beat the Odds Youth Advisors and community every step of the way.  In 2021, a multi-sector communications committee was formed to help inform the campaign and decision-making.  In Fall of 2022, marketing firm Axiom Blue was hired to develop our mental health awareness communications campaign. 


Then, we got to work!

  • Step 1

    Information Gathering: We hosted focus groups with youth and adults in the Springfield community and distributed a Youth Voice Survey to expand our reach of youth input from Springfield.  Common themes were drawn from both the youth and adult focus groups.

  • Step 2

    Interactive Marketing Workshops:  Beat the Odds youth advisors from the South End Community Center and Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services worked with Axiom Blue to determine the campaign style, design, and colorways to use.

  • Step 3

    Meet & greet with the CGI (computer-generated image) photographer and fashioner designer.  BTO helped inform what the campaign should look and feel like, they shared what a youth’s bedroom might look like, what the bathroom at their school looks like, what styles of clothes and sneakers they like to wear, etc.  At this meeting we really focused in on the details.

  • Step 4

    Lights, Camera, Action!  BTO and other youth models selected by the marketing firm arrived on set for a full day of makeup and outfit changes.  The youth had quite a memorable time learning about the behind-the-scenes necessities in creating ads, and how CGI works in advertising.  They felt like stars, ready to represent a mental health awareness campaign. 

  • Step 5

    After the youth photos were placed into the CGI scenes, after BTO, the communications committee, and other members of the YMHC were able to weigh in, edits were made, and here we have our final product! The I am More Than My Mood mental health awareness campaign created for Springfield youth and families, guided by Springfield youth and we couldn’t be prouder of the product we – as a community – created!

Projects

We are thankful to our funders for this opportunity

  • City of Springfield
  • The Davis Foundation
  • Trinity Health of New England
  • The Whitcomb Foundation
  • Women’s Fund of Western MA

Campaign Materials



I Am More Than My Mood