A campaign aimed at raising awareness on the importance of listening to people going through mental health issues emerged as the top winner in the recently concluded YouTube Works Awards.
Earning the unanimous decision of YouTube’s esteemed panel of judges, GIGIL Philippines’ Accenture “Gravity” bested all 12 entries vying for this year’s grand prize.
This is the second year-in-a-row for the agency to sweep the highest accolade after it won the YouTube’s inaugural awards last year with RC Cola “Family” campaign.
Gravity was, likewise, feted with the Force For Good award which recognizes campaigns that best demonstrate brand values and proven impact on social issues.
Mind your brains health
MENTAL health issues have been a growing global concern over the last few years with hundreds of millions of people suffering from it.
Confronted by manifold problems like the ongoing health crisis and other challenges—either natural or man-made—a staggering one in four people will be affected at one point in their life, per experts’ projection. The rates, they estimate, are almost twice as high for young adults, compared to other age groups.
Significantly contributing to its wider prevalence now are the prolonged social isolation, distancing and quarantines in the face of the pandemic. Adding to these are the loss of lives, as well as the social and economic impacts of the various catastrophes experienced here and abroad.
With many suffering from mental adversity, this condition is, more often than not, left untreated. In most cases, even the families are unaware that their kin is undergoing mental health issues for the simple reason that these patients are either unwilling or uncomfortable about sharing their narratives with others or seek help. This menace could have been prevented if an intervention is offered immediately.
Mental wellness is everybody’s business
MINDFUL of the alarming mental health concerns now affecting so many, GIGIL was inspired to recreate and share the untold stories of those experiencing it or finding ways to cope with stress at home or at work.
For this campaign, it tied up with business process outsourcing company Accenture, which boasts of a round-the-clock employee assistance program that is available to all the staff anytime they need intervention.
The Gravity video documents the torment and travails of someone going through mental health problems. Using an immersive rotating screen experience, it climaxes the character’s inner strife by condensing it into a dizzying spell. As the scene comes to a close, it also highlights the importance of having a dynamic work environment that enables workers to thrive and get through life’s struggles.
GIGIL’s managing partner, Jake Yrastorza, along with the whole team expressed their gratitude for the support and trust accorded to them not only by the YouTube jury but by their clients and the public in general.
The global YouTube Works Awards, in partnership with Kantar, celebrate and champion the brilliant minds who produce the most innovative and effective campaigns on the leading international free online video-sharing and social networking platform.
The agency also bagged the YouTube Works Best Collaboration Award for Orocan for the film titled “Ms. Hurt” and the Challenger Award for Diskartech for the video dubbed “The Carabao.”
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Image credits: Freepik.com