People taking their own lives on Britain’s rail network is a sad reality. While only 4-5 per cent of suicides in the UK take place on the railway, each occurrence causes devastation for all those involved including widespread disruption to passengers and costs the rail industry millions of pounds.

Previous advertising campaigns by the rail industry have focussed on targeting by-standers and rail passengers, encouraging them to intervene and make small talk when they see someone in distress. New academic research by behaviour change expert James Bannerman, into how we may be able to reduce rail suicide on the UK, recommended targeting audiences further upstream, before reaching the railway in crisis.  The key campaign objective was to achieve a reduction in the number of rail suicides to help protect lives and reduce the psychological, financial and logistical consequences to the industry. Ardmore was challenged by Network Rail to develop a campaign that could help achieve both these objectives and for the first time to reach out to those with mental health issues directly.

The campaign was designed to appeal to the most at-risk group (White, British males 30-50 years old), but also to speak to people who are not actively asking for help or support, to slow their decision-making process and move in a different direction. It was even more important to encourage help seeking behaviour in light of the mental health impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Changing the narrative  

While some people may be in a dark place, they may not want to end their life. Rather they want to end their pain. It was critical to get our message across in a way that did not associate the railway as an effective place to end life or prime the at-risk audience to see the railway as such. Rather we needed to position it as a place of safety, somewhere that is full of hope, connections and energy.

Our campaign was designed to intervene at the most logical and effective point in a series of life altering choices.  Given the sensitivity and magnitude of the topic we felt that the point at which to dissuade is upstream before the railway becomes a conscious ‘option’ - not before (suicidal thoughts) or after (suicidal action).  This focus on deterring attention for suicide at the railway was critical in helping to meet our primary communications objective.

Execution:

We commissioned both quantitative and qualitative research with people who have lived experience to help provide greater insight into this challenging subject.  There were a number of specific outcomes which we needed to consider in order to make the story both believable and impactful. The final campaign needed to ensure a clear and obvious character journey.  It had to strike a balance between realism and hope.  There needed to be an early hook to the hero character and the music had to a fit the hero’s journey while providing an engaging soundtrack to the key messages.

To build a strong positive association with the railway the concept had to be based on a truth, one that can be substantiated, identified with, and one that people will continue to want to be a part of. We spent time in train stations people watching, observing the comings and goings, the different walks of life each with different personalities, relationships, destinations, reasons for travel and different purposes. So many differences yet all united by one commonality: they are all starting something.

Some people are starting a day of work, some returning and starting their well-earned family time; some are meeting people for the first time, some for the hundredth time, there will be concerts, parties, make-ups and break-ups, football matches, nights out, nights in and nights off but all are the start of something, and that is what Network Rail are the beating heart of...

The railway is where journeys begin, not end.

Our creative assets included film, radio, static and digital formats across multiple platforms, with each capturing the vibrancy and life found in railway stations:  the ebb and flow of everyday life, from the mundane to the surprising, as if through the eyes of a fellow commuter so that viewer can identify the same opportunities for connection as them.   The media strategy was supported by four key pillars:

1.     Scale – Can we reach enough people

2.     Togetherness – Will our audience feel as though they are among like-minded people

3.     Trust – Is the message being delivered in an environment with credibility

4.     Shareability – Can we make our audience feel as though they are part of something bigger

The mix of media channels combined reach, targeting and the ability to talk to our audience one-on-one.  High impact rich media units helped to not only achieve standout and engagement but also educate the user. We recognised that connection is vital, impression volumes alone don’t equal success.  We sought to engage some of the most vulnerable people in an unobtrusive way through targeting their hobbies and interests at a time when they are seeking solace through by listening to music, watching TV and browsing online rather than seeking mental health support through more traditional channels.

We featured people in differing states of vulnerability, but who through connection are supported in those environments and reassured that with connections There is always hope.

This is all reflective of and authentic to the current climate of support and altruism that is a feature of our society in this pandemic. It is also realised in the campaign partnership with the charity ‘Chasing The Stigma’ whose ‘Hub of Hope’ app is the physical follow-thru of real-life connections to those who can support these vulnerable people.

As we have a firm understanding of the demographic and as engagement increases, the scope of the communications will diversify and explore more specific touchpoints utilising spokespersons, influencers and various earned media opportunities. The railway must live up to the promise that there is always hope, so this is a commitment not a campaign.

It’s a positive and empowering campaign, rooted in hope and truth, designed to inspire many and provide hope for those less fortunate.

The idea was to catch the target audience upstream so that suicide is never considered, by positioning the railway as a place of safety, hope, connections and energy. Somewhere where life begins. The campaign aims to speak to people who are not actively asking for help, to slow their decision-making process and provide them with the support required through the Hub of Hope app – encouraging them to realise There is Always Hope.

Results: 

The campaign was launched in March 2021, and initial audience tracking carried out after the first month. The headline findings are:

·        43% of respondents now see the railway in a more positive light

·        35% now think differently about the railway

·        More than 29% have taken initial action, such as:

o   Found out about the Hub of Hope – 29%

o   Visited the Hub of Hope website – 24%

o   Found out more about Chasing The Stigma – 15%

o   Which has resulted in a 148% Year on Year growth of new users and Hub of Hope App downloads

·        In addition 73% of respondents believe that Network Rail is supporting Mental Health, strengthening the brand’s reputation.

The correlation between uplift in Hub of Hope users and reaching people further upstream is clearly evident in the initial results.  In short, the campaign is changing behaviour and enriching lives by encouraging people to seek support and positively influencing perceptions of suicide and the railway.