Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has teamed up with Mental Health UK, to tackle the issue of overworking in a new campaign from BBH.

The #DownTools campaign is a series of shutter art paintings by noted mural artist Peter Barber. The campaign appears on the shutters of a dry cleaners, a butcher’s shop and a bakery, sharing the message ‘Let’s bring the shutters down on overworking’ along with the hashtag #DownTools.

The executions are part of a wider campaign which encourages workers to recognise that everyone needs time away from the daily grind, and encourages people to call it a day when the day’s done.

The activity also includes a 30-second film running on TV and VOD, social activity and radio ads. Mental Health UK is also offering a number of resources related to the campaign, including tips on good mental health and a service offering practical advice for those with money worries.

The post pandemic workplace

The campaign comes in the midst of an inflection point in the workplace; with a myriad of data points underlining the mental health challenges which have accompanied the erosion of boundaries in the wake of the pandemic. 

Kate Thompson, Head of Marketing at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, explained: “It’s vital that we allow ourselves enough time to switch off from work. The COVID-19 pandemic has blurred the lines between work and life causing a dangerous imbalance, whether that’s struggling to log-off when working from home or battling to keep pace with increased workload.”

She continued: “We hope by raising awareness through our #DownTools campaign, we can encourage people to make their mental health a priority, because ultimately we work better when we feel better.”

Katie Legg, Director, Strategy and Partnerships at Mental Health UK, added: “It’s impossible to do our best work without prioritising our mental health. This campaign is a valuable reminder of the importance of taking time out to focus on our wellbeing and all the benefits that can bring. We’re proud to work with Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles to create this set of helpful resources and hope it will empower employees to better understand the relationship between their work and mental health, and the practical steps they can take to help regain that sense of balance.”