Mental Health Problems? Let's Talk About It!

In retrospect, we tend to romanticise it, but when you're stuck in the middle of it, being a student can be quite stressful.

When ETH students were asked about their well-being in a survey, just under a quarter said they were struggling with their mental health. That talking about your problems can help with mental stress is not just well-intentioned advice, but scientifically proven. The question is: How do you talk about the importance of mental health without sounding preachy?

The idea is pretty simple: idioms. The familiar phrases have something inherently playful about them that a.) is fun to visualise  and b.) doesn't come across as deadly serious despite the subject matter. A combination of photography and illustrations, with young people and fresh colors, made the delicate topic accessible and visible.

We collaborated with illustrator Kavel Rafferty to create a bright and friendly combination of photos and illustrations. The visuals were used as posters, on the university's website and as an animation.

The ETH team involved a group of their students in the process of finding a suitable message and visual style for the campaign. The students' opinions were incredibly valuable in finding the right imagery and wording. Once the campaign was published, the feedbacks continued to be positive. The unexpected visuals and headlines were met with approval, the main feeling being that the campaign managed to feel relatable.