Youthline and Droga5 ANZ launch youth mental support activation

Youthline has partnered with Droga5 ANZ, part of Accenture Song, to launch a new nationwide donation campaign aimed at supporting young people in crisis across New Zealand.

Titled Help us answer, the campaign ran nationally in December across out-of-home, mall media, social, online and radio, encouraging New Zealanders to donate to ensure every call and text to Youthline’s helpline can be answered.

A single message across every channel

The campaign is anchored by one line, Help us answer, which functions as headline, call to action and donation mechanic.

Each execution directs audiences to donate online, reinforcing the link between financial support and Youthline’s ability to respond in moments of need.

The creative approach is intentionally pared back, using typographic-led visuals to highlight the immediacy of young people reaching out for help and the urgency for Youthline to be available when they do.

Youthline has operated as a trusted youth mental health service for more than 55 years and expanded its helpline to a 24/7 service in 2023, following research showing nighttime as a particularly high-risk period for rangatahi in distress.

Rising demand for youth mental health support

Demand for the service has intensified, with a third of all calls now coming from young people at risk of harm, resulting in up to three emergency interventions each day.

New Zealand continues to record some of the highest rates of youth suicide and bullying among high-income countries.

For donors, youth mental health can often feel like an abstract or overwhelming issue. The campaign seeks to address this by clearly demonstrating how donations translate into real-time support when a young person reaches out.

Anastasia Potter, GM Fundraising and Marketing at Youthline said the campaign reflects the organisation’s immediate need.

“Every call or text we answer can be life-changing, and sometimes life saving,” Potter said.

“But we can only continue to be there with the support of New Zealanders.”

“This campaign captures the urgency and simplicity of what we need right now: donations that help us answer,” she said.

“We’re asking Aotearoa to stand with our young people and give.”

Cutting through with clarity

Damon Stapleton, Chief Creative Officer at Droga5 ANZ said the work focused on removing complexity from the message.

“When a young person reaches out to Youthline, that moment matters,” Stapleton said.

“Our job was to remove the noise and focus on the simplest, most powerful truth: Youthline needs donations to answer every call.”

“‘Help us answer’ says exactly that – clearly, directly and everywhere,” he said.

Keep on top of the most important media, marketing, and agency news each day with the Mediaweek Morning Report – delivered for free every morning to your inbox.