Create Not Hate is to start working on a new campaign, to be created by under-represented young talent, to highlight the text messaging support service offered by charity Mental Health Innovations, Shout 85258.

Shout is a free and confidential UK-wide text service for anyone struggling to cope. To date, Shout has supported more than 290,000 texters in over 700,000 text conversations.

Launched in May 2019, it offers a silent and anonymous way for people to reach out at any time of day or night for help with issues such as anxiety, depression, suicide, loneliness, bullying, stress or self-harm. 

Unlocking potential and changing the narrative

The collaboration builds on Create Not Hate’s two primary aims; to help young people who are underrepresented in the creative industries unlock their  potential, in turn increasing diversity in advertising, and to address the social issues they live with every day.

This partnership aims to open up and promote the service to young Black men. This follows analysis showing that 65% of its texters are aged under-25, 80% identify as female and the majority are white.

Shout is partnering with Create Not Hate because it  wants to extend its support to communities currently underrepresented among its users – among them, Black males between the ages of 14 and 24: a group known to be affected worse than many by mental ill health.

Shout will work with young people recruited through Create Not Hate to develop creative concepts and executions for the campaign. It will do so with the help of outreach partners including schools and local councils. The process will start with a series of workshops with young people to teach them about different aspects of the creative industries and talk about the creative brief. Industry mentors will also be involved to offer guidance and support throughout the creative development process. 

The partnership aim is to have work completed within eight weeks of the initial workshops. With Create Not Hate maintaining contact with participating young people to ensure to create a meaningful, long term partnership. 

The subsequent creative campaign will run across outdoor, digital and social media. While media will be handled by Total Media.

Commenting on the partnership. Trevor Robinson OBE, Create Not Hate’s Founder, who is also Executive Creative Director and Founder of Quiet Storm, said: “When I was a teen going through mental difficulties, I suppressed those feelings as I didn’t feel like I could talk to anyone. Young black kids and men are especially vulnerable today. They don’t feel like they have anyone to confide in because you should just get on and be a man, and the pandemic has made feelings of isolation worse.”

He believes that because of these pressures Working with young people who may well be experiencing these challenges is a brilliant thing to be involved in. He explains: “To utilise them and their perspective to help create a campaign that will talk to young black guys who might need help; while also working on another Create Not Hate project that will help bridge the diversity gap in advertising. I can’t wait to show off the talent of these young people.”

Clare Bolton, Director of Marketing and Communications at Mental Health Innovations, the charity behind Shout 85258 added: "We're thrilled to be working with Create Not Hate on this important campaign. Shout is free and available for anyone to use 24/7, and we want to make sure that anyone who needs support knows about our service and how to get in touch with us.”

She continued:  “Diversifying our user base is a key strategic aim for us this year and we feel that the unique creative process deployed by Create Not Hate will be instrumental in developing an authentic campaign that's derived from the lived experience of the audience themselves, so will have the best chance of resonating with them and creating change."

Create Not Hate are on the lookout for people to provide services to produce the young people’s creative ideas and give up time to mentor the young people. If you want to get involved or have any questions, please email [email protected]