The nation is facing an ongoing mental health crisis – and that includes the very people working to make us all better, with research showing over half of NHS workers are dealing with poor mental health.

A new campaign for dedicated charity Frontline19 throws these conditions into relief. Led by creative agency adam&eveDDB, which previously worked with the charity on its PTSD campaign, Sicker Than the Patients aims to drive awareness of, and donations for Frontline19’s counselling services.

The campaign revolves around a stirring film, which uses clips in the style of CCTV footage to portray NHS workers privately dealing with the emotional toll of their jobs as they face often harrowing experiences. This is joined by OOH executions that convey their experiences in the language of health workers: as a list of symptoms. While actors were featured for these parts of the campaign, real NHS workers will be involved in an activation coming further down the line.

“It’s all too easy to forget that those looking after us need looking after too and NHS employees’ mental health is at breaking point,” says adam&eveDDB executive creative director Ant Nelson. “Our campaign highlights the vital support provided by Frontline19 and the need for this to be available to those NHS workers who need it the most.”

With an upcoming general election, and in light of the long-running strikes over pay, the NHS crisis is a near permanent fixture of the headlines. Frontline19’s campaign reminds us to think about the people dealing with it on the inside.

Credits:
Agency: adam&eveDDB
Chief Creative Officer: Richard Brim
Executive Creative Directors: Ant Nelson, Mike Sutherland
Creative Directors: Richard Gayton, Darren Beresford
Production Company: MJZ
Director: Henry Hobson
DoP: Ben Seresin
Post Production: Untold Studios
Photographer: Dean Rogers