If social media is this generation’s smoking then perhaps the biggest consequence is the gulf between the image projected on social media and the lived experience of the person posting. 

This  gulf of the unsaid, unshared and unspoken, is the starting point for adam&eveDDB and the Campaign Against Living Miserably’s largest ever initiative.

On Monday 20^th June, 50, 6.5 foot high, unbranded, smiling portraits were installed on London’s busy South Bank area, a depiction of people living what appears to be rich, happy, care-free lives. 

Today the heart- breaking true nature of the experience has been revealed on ITV’s This Morning, where it was revealed that each smiling image is the last photograph of someone who soon after took their own life. Spotlighting the tragic truth whch underpins this campaign; ‘suicidal doesn’t always look suicidal’.

Visitors to the exhibition will be guided to learn how they can help save lives, with onsite volunteers directing the public to QR codes that lead to practical toolkits on CALM’s website. 

The installation will  also be supported by a 90 second TV spot which will air on ITV’s This Morning. 

Directed by Max Fisher, the film shows a sequence of real home videos of apparently happy people enjoying life – singing to infant children, messing about with mates, and enjoying a day out at the seaside. However towards the end of the spot, titles reveal all are the last videos of people who later died by suicide. 

Breaking the stigma

The initiative aims to address the stigma often associated with suicide, with people assuming they know what it looks like - reclusiveness, crying, silence – and if they don't see such traits in someone, they hesitate to intervene. Yet in reality, suicidal behaviour takes many forms. Often people can seem happy just moments before taking their own lives. 

Simon Gunning, CEO of CALM, explained: “Behind every smile is a tragic story of loss and despair that touches family, friends and communities. We like to thank all the families that contributed to the campaign for their strength and courage in stepping forward and sharing these powerful stories. There has long been a stereotype and stigma surrounding suicide that has held people back from opening up and talking about their feelings, and seeking help when it’s needed. 

CALM  believes that at a  time of economic and social unrest it's even more important that we put suicide prevention back on the national agenda and come together to take collective action. 

Matt Jennings, CMO of CALM, added: “It’s a simple idea that can be shared in different ways across multiple channels, but ultimately we needed to make sure we converted all of the attention into action. It can often be hard to know how someone is feeling, but through this campaign we want to break down the stigma that surrounds suicide, and equip the nation to talk about it. Whether that's around the dinner table, in the pub, the locker room or in parliament, if we can make the conversation inescapable, we can all help to save a life.”

125 lives are lost to suicide every week. As the UK’s leading voice for suicide prevention, the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) exists to change this by provoking conversation, running life-saving services, and bringing people together to give or get help when it’s needed.

Creativity for social change

Once again the charity is leaning on the power of creativity to spark honest and vulnerable conversations about mental health in order to prevent suicide. In 2018, adam&eveDDB and CALM launched Project 84. 

The award-winning campaign was born from the shocking insight that 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. 

Since that groundbreaking campaign launched, 26,000 people in Britain have died by suicide. CALM believes with  the country emerging from two years of lockdowns and entering a crushing cost of living crisis, the outlook looks ominous unless we take collective action. 

Ant Nelson, Executive Creative Director at adam&eveDDB, said: “While Project 84 put suicide on the national agenda, ‘The Last Photo’ takes the issue a step further by actively empowering the nation to prevent suicides. This is the biggest campaign CALM has launched, and we’re immensely proud to have helped bring it to life.” 

Cain&abelDDB, adam&eveDDB’s in-house creative production partner, produced the hero film. The Media has been handled by 7Stars. Hope&Glory will handle the consumer PR outreach.