Movember has partnered with the football clubs of two areas with the highest male suicide rates in the UK, in an aim to turn empty stadium seats into a reminder ahead of World Suicide Prevention Day.
The campaign, led by Splendid Communications, will take place at Rotherham United and Darlington F.C and will feature empty seats turned into the message ‘Where’s my mate?’ to remind people to check in on male friends and loved ones.
The creative features the stadiums’ red and grey seats sharply contrasted with black out-of-homes (OOHs) that contain the charity’s logo – a moustache – in white.
The stunt forms part of Movember’s ‘Sport the Signs’ campaign, which aims to educate men on how to spot early signs of mental health problems – such as uncharacteristically missing a match.
In support of the campaign, Movember has also teamed up with former Premier League and FIFA referee and Rotherham local, Howard Webb.
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It follows statistics from the charity’s recent survey that found while just under half (44%) of men in the UK have suffered with their mental wellbeing, two-thirds (65%) of UK males would keep mental health struggles and suicidal thoughts to themselves.
“We believe that every football fan holds the potential to make a difference in someone’s life,” said Movember global director of men’s health research Dr Zac Seidler.
“Through ‘filling’ these empty seats with such a poignant message, we want to remind people that noticing the signs, reaching out and supporting one another can truly save lives.
“As the UK’s leading men’s health charity, the only goal we truly care about is to stop men dying too young, and through this landmark collaboration, we hope to equip men with the knowledge, confidence, and tools that could save another man’s life,” he concluded.
Webb added; “One of the reasons we all love the game that is football is the sense of camaraderie and community it offers – whether that’s supporting a team from home or coming along and watching alongside your mates,”
“Together with Movember, we want to encourage people to reach out to those around them to help prevent them from reaching crisis point.”
