Last month, National Association of Broadcasters President and CEO Gordon Smith participated in the White House’s National Conference on Mental Health, which marked the administration’s efforts to launch a national conversation about mental illness. During this meeting, NAB announced that America’s broadcasters would use the power of our megaphone to join in the White House’s efforts to raise awareness and combat misperceptions surrounding mental illness.
NAB is working closely with the White House and other partners to develop a mental health awareness campaign that is on target and effective. The campaign will include TV and radio spots, Web video, banner ads and a large social media platform.
The campaign’s primary target audience includes those 13-24 years old who are living with a mental health problem and not currently seeking help. The secondary target audience includes parents, caregivers and friends who know someone struggling with mental health issues.
Television and radio spots will be available in English and Spanish in varying lengths and ready for stations to download July 22. (NOTE: These are not the same as the mental health spots recorded by members of Congress as part of NAB’s Congressional PSA program.)
Stations will be notified by email when the official campaign spots are posted. Please participate in this campaign and help us air these spots.
To show our unity in raising awareness of mental illness, we are urging all stations to join together in debuting the spot on Thursday, July 25.
We understand that your inventory is valuable and we do not make this ask lightly. Your support for this important issue sends a strong message to your viewers, listeners and policymakers. Broadcasters have a powerful voice in this country, and mental health is a critical issue that impacts all Americans. This campaign will demonstrate to policymakers that stations have the power to make a positive difference in their communities and across the nation.
Thank you for your participation in this important campaign. If you have questions, please contact me or NAB at nab@nab.org.
