“Telling the truth is very liberating”: Simon Gunning on how creativity can change culture.
In the UK, 84 men take their own life every single week. If you are a man aged under-45 in the UK the most likely thing to kill you, is you. A statistic that is behind CALM’s (Campaign Against Living Miserably) drive to create a movement against male suicide.
When it comes to breaking down the stigma and veil of silence that surrounds male mental health there is no question that marketing and the creative industries have a vital role to play. CALM’s ground-breaking ‘Project 84’ campaign, created by adam&eveDDB, powerfully bought these shocking statistics to life.
The project was, for Simon Gunning, CEO at CALM, one of his proudest moments to date because of the growth in awareness that came as a result. Backed by Harry’s Grooming, CALM created 84 sculptures to represent the 84 men who take their own life every week in the UK. The emotive sculptures, which were placed on the top of the ITV building on the Southbank in London, sent a powerful message, giving people, especially men, the confidence to start talking openly about their mental health. But, most importantly, it saved people’s lives.
In the last few years there has been a surge in sympathy and embracing of the subject matter from the general public, says Gunning. CALM no longer has just a singular mission but has “expanded to be something much more like a popular movement.” The campaign was also the catalyst for the government’s decision to appoint a suicide prevention minister and launch the Global Ministerial Mental Health Summit.
Our method of communication actually isn’t masculine. What it is, is contemporary.
Simon Gunning
In an ecosystem in which many brands and agencies talk about shifting culture, CALM is a charity that has genuinely brought this lofty ideal to life. Gunning’s experience in advertising and media - he has worked at companies including BBH, EMI and the BBC - has paid dividends. When he joined CALM two years ago, he was tasked with running the charity like a business, to build it as you would a brand. There was, says Gunning, an “opportunity to do it in a way that wasn’t finger waggy.” CALM “don’t see themselves as a charity,” says Gunning, "and that’s why we’ve been able to succeed."
With Professor Green as their patron and a myriad of other high-profile ambassadors, Gunning says part of their success is that “our method of communication actually isn’t masculine. What it is, is contemporary.” CALM made a conscious shift away from the fear-based narratives often relied on by the charity sector, to “give people practical solutions to combat the horror.”
These ambassadors are essential, believes Gunning because their behaviour and their openness and willingness to share their stories encourages others to do the same: “The sort of behaviour our ambassadors exhibit is such an important way to encourage behaviour change in society more broadly.”
[We have] instil[led] a culture here that is based on the values of the brand, which [are] kindness, tolerance, community…and hope.
Simon Gunning
Gunning is dismissive of commentators like Piers Morgan who he believes miss the point when it comes to the power and relevance of celebrities being honest about their experiences and challenges. According to Gunning when Professor Green opens up, “he’s exhibiting the kind of strong behaviours that the likes of Piers Morgan would conflate with weakness.”
And it’s this behavioural change that Gunning wants to bring about with CALM, beginning first with the culture of the company. It’s a company that, in the last two years, has grown from eight to 36 people in the London office and 10 to 20 people on the helpline which is an 120% year on year growth and, according to CALM, directly prevents 2.3 suicides a day. As Gunning says, we have “instil[led] a culture here that is based on the values of the brand, which [are] kindness, tolerance, community…and hope.”
The BBC, Gunning reveals was a “place where it was OK to pause,” where you could be in a meeting and have time to think and just catch your breath. This sort of willing lean towards vulnerability is what Gunning wants to see happening across society but also within the advertising industry, especially when it comes to the creative tension between agency and client. Gunning believes that there is a “productive tension if you challenge each other.” Having worked alongside adam&eveDDB on several ground-breaking projects, including 'Project 84', he taps his fingers with an excited agitation as he talks of the next big creative idea bubbling away in the pipeline.
The sort of behaviour our ambassadors exhibit is such an important way to encourage behaviour change in society more broadly.
Simon Gunning
When he is not tackling the stigma surrounding male mental health Gunning can be found playing his guitar and riding his motorbike. He believes that it is through those pursuits that he is learning to control his thoughts.
As a leader who walks the walk when it comes to mental health, he is open about the challenges of tackling such an emotive issue on a daily basis. He explains: “I’m of an age where I find this all quite difficult. Talking about mental health and talking about suicide I find quite hard. There’s a handbrake that goes on.”
The creative work and cultural impact Gunning has overseen at CALM is a testament to this honesty. In an era in which ‘authenticity’ is at the top of the marketing and business agenda, Gunning’s success underlines that it is far more than just a buzzword. For as the success of CALM shows, commitment to a ground-breaking creative idea can not only shift culture but save lives.
CALM, 'Project 84' by adam&eveDDB
You’ve got to nurture mutual respect so that when you challenge, whether you are client or agency-side, you produce better work, not resentment.
Simon Gunning
Simon will be hosting a panel at BITE LIVE 2019 on how to balance creativity, commerciality and integrity, alongside brands and media owners.
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