F&F has partnered with award-winning charity Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) to raise awareness of male mental health issues in the UK.
For ten years, CALM has been working to prevent the single biggest killer of men under 45 in the UK – suicide. The F&F x CALM #MarkYourMan campaign, created by creative agency ODD, encourages men to support each other through good times and bad, just as they would their football team.
The insight behind the #MarkYourMan campaign draws on the contrast between the emotion men are able to show on the pitch or in the stadium compared to everyday life, where men often suppress or hide feelings, fears and emotions. As fans across the UK prepare to celebrate the teams playing in the World Cup, CALM and F&F are encouraging people to offer the same support to friends, sons, brothers and fathers who may be going through tough times and struggling to talk about their mental health.
Comedians Romesh Ranganathan, newly announced CALM ambassador, and Rob Beckett, supporter of CALM, front the campaign and feature in a series of short online films, also created by ODD, built to fit seamlessly into social feeds during the World Cup, encouraging men to talk to and support each other.
Both comedians are wearing two-part t-shirts also created by F&F and ODD, designed to emphasise the importance of getting support when you need it as when they fit together, make a one symbol of support.
F&F will donate £1.00 from the sale of each CALM t-shirt sold between 14thMay 2018 and 1stAugust 2018 to CALM (registered charity No 1116021 and SCO44347)
The social, print and retail campaign will primarily target men under 45 but also engage with women who may have experienced a husband, brother, friend or son affected by anxiety, stress and depression which, when kept inside, can get worse without help and support.
Richard Price, F&F CEO, said “CALM do amazing work to build awareness and campaign for societal change in male communication and emotional support. They provide invaluable care with front line crisis management, so we’re delighted to partner with CALM and we hope to raise further awareness, get men talking and support CALM with donating profits from our charity t-shirts.”
Simon Gunning, CALM CEO, said: “We’re thrilled to be working with F&F and Tesco on their brilliant #MarkYourMan campaign. Together we’ll reach a huge audience with the wonderfully positive message about supporting the men and boys in our lives. With Romesh and Rob at the helm it shows that together we can tackle a serious issue with authenticity and humour. We encourage everyone to get a t-shirt, support CALM and #MarkYourMan – whether that’s your dad, your son, your partner or your pal.”
Nick Stickland, ODD Co-Founder & ECD said: “Most men struggle at some point in their life, and many don’t know who they can turn to in times of need. The core F&F menswear customer is perfectly aligned with the target demographic for CALM – so the partnership made complete strategic sense to us. Mates can be a great first port of call but it’s best not to wait until crisis point. Whether it’s your dad, your son, your partner or your pal – we are encouraging you to #MarkYourMan.”
Support the #MarkYourMan campaign with the F&F CALM charity two-partt-shirt for £6, available in-store and online at Tesco.com from 4th June.
Links
https://www.tesco.com/direct/clothing/
