How Norwich City went global with its mental health message
The football club’s poignant suicide prevention film gained a massive online audience and prompted thousands to seek support.
Norwich City FC wanted to reach its supporters with a powerful message on World Mental Health Day (10 October). Research showed the average age of its season ticket holders fell into the same bracket of men most likely to take their own life (45-49). Driven by this insight, the club aimed to tackle the stigma around suicide.
Working entirely in-house, the Norwich City marketing team produced a poignant short film featuring the hashtag #YouAreNotAlone. At the heart of the campaign was the insight that just because someone appears fine on the surface, it doesn’t mean they are.
The film shows two men watching football from their seats in Norwich’s Carrow Road stadium at different stages of the season. One of the men displays characteristics that suggest he is struggling with his mental health, while the other man appears happy and more engaged with the action on the pitch. A plot twist at the end of the film reveals that it was in fact the man who appeared outwardly fine who had died by suicide.
The film ends with a call for people to ‘check in on those around you’ and with contact details for the charity Samaritans. Norwich City also worked with its shirt sponsors to deliver a temporary full-shirt takeover for Samaritans.
The video has been viewed more than 300 million times in over 150 countries across the club’s channels and user generated content, generating support from public figures and charities. The ad was responsible for over 7,500 inbound social messages to Samaritans in the week the campaign launched, helping Norwich City win the 2024 Marketing Week Award for Sport, Gaming and Entertainment.
