Leo B helps launch AHA ‘Sharing’ campaign

'Sharing' by Leo Burnett for the AHA

‘Sharing’ by Leo Burnett for the AHA

Effort to ease
workplace stress
begins with
talking about
concerns and
experiences

Leo Burnett is helping to stimulate workplace conversations about mental health in a new public awareness campaign for the American Heart Association.

Titled, Sharing, the integrated effort includes a pair of TV spots that combine poetic narration with a visual style that would fit right into the Beatles’ 1968 film, Yellow Submarine.

The official rollout kicks off on World Mental Health Day, October 10, with a boost from the nearly fifty influential professionals who belong to AHA’s CEO Roundtable, a leadership collaborative formed in 2013 that includes Leo Burnett North America CEO Andrew Swinand among its members.

Swinand, who led Leo Burnett’s effort to create Sharing, says that the campaign shows how “sharing really can make a difference in people’s lives.”

 
LEO BURNETT
SHARING | AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION, CEO ROUNDTABLE

 

“Social media has ingrained the act of ‘sharing’ in our culture today — because when you share you’re not alone,” explains Swinand, who served as 2019 Chairman of the AHA’s annual gala, the Chicago Heart Ball. “We’re leveraging this behavior as a creative solution to normalize mental health, an issue that three out of four employees face.”

 
Leading the way to a healthy workplace
According to a Harris Poll survey, 76% of employees have struggled with at least one issue that affects their mental health— that’s three in four people of our American workforce. Yet, mental health remains a stigmatized topic.

At a time when a quarter of Americans cite work as their greatest source of stress, the responsibility of corporate America becomes clear: CEOs must lead the conversation, and the change, to build a mental health-friendly workplace.

The first step to tackling mental health is to normalize the conversation about it — and that’s what the American Heart Association’s CEO Roundtable is doing.

“Mental health awareness is vital to everything we do as a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives,” says Nancy Brown, CEO, American Heart Association. “Our CEO Roundtable members are driving innovations in employee health and committed to improve the lives of their employees and family members so they can live their best life.”

 
Getting the office involved
In addition to running PSAs on national TV, radio, and social sites, the campaign includes online video elements and an employee toolkit deployed to thousands of companies that work with the Association. Executives and employees are encouraged to participate by sharing their personal experiences with mental health using the hashtag, #WeStandwith76.

 
About AHA’s CEO Roundtable
In 2013, the American Heart Association (AHA) formed its CEO Roundtable — a leadership collaborative that has grown to 46 members who collectively represent more than 10 million employees and their family members. The Roundtable is committed to implementing evidence-based approaches to rising health challenges to empower employees and build stronger corporate cultures. With a focus on real-world, actionable strategies, the Roundtable seeks to create solutions and systemic change for companies across the country.

 
About the American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is a leading force for a world of longer, healthier lives. With nearly a century of lifesaving work, the Dallas-based Association is dedicated to ensuring equitable health for all. We are a trustworthy source empowering people to improve their heart health, brain health and well-being. We collaborate with numerous organizations and millions of volunteers to fund innovative research, advocate for stronger public health policies, and share lifesaving resources and information. Connect with us on heart.org, Facebook, Twitter or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.

 
About Leo Burnett
Leo Burnett is a creative solutions company founded on the idea that “what helps people helps business.” By solving human problems with the power of creativity, Leo Burnett delivers value for people and prosperity for brands. Part of the Publicis Power of One, Leo Burnett won 25 Lions at the 2019 Cannes International Festival of Creativity. To learn more about Leo Burnett and its rich, 83-year history, visit our site, Facebook page and follow us via @leoburnettchi.

 
Send your campaign updates to Reel Chicago Editor Dan Patton, dan@reelchicago.com.