Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) has named comedian Romesh Ranganathan as its new Patron, alongside a pledge to raise £1 million worth of funds for its support services. 
To raise awareness of Ranganathan’s appointment and the charity’s work in attempting to combat a growing national mental health crisis, CALM has released a short video.
Showcased on YouTube, the 106-second video features a mysterious box being delivered by motorbike at night to the house of the unsuspecting Ranganathan.
Upon opening the box, it becomes clear the charity has bestowed upon him the ceremonial CALM hip-hop chain and knuckle duster, handing the baton from the previous Patron, Professor Green.
After appearing to be overcome with emotions, there is a comedic twist when the delivery person tells Ranganathan to turn the letter around to read the text, “BTW, you need to raise £1 million pounds”.
The film concludes with Ranganathan swearing in disbelief, before a title scene declares him Calm’s new charity. The last seen sees the comedian – already adorned with the chains – asking the driver on the off chance “you don’t know anyone will a million pounds do you?”.
Subscribe to Marketing Beat for free
Sign up here to get the latest marketing campaigns sent straight to your inbox each morning
Ranganathan’s appointment follows the presenter candidly speaking about his struggles with poor mental health and suicidal ideation, something experienced by one in five people in the UK.
“I’m becoming CALM Patron because I know talking about suicide really does make a difference and that anyone can hit rock bottom,” said Ranganathan.
“It’s vital we all understand that those feelings won’t last forever, so I’ll be helping to make sure more people know about CALM’s life-saving services and raising as much money as I can to support as many people as possible.”
Campaign Against Living Miserably, CEO, Simon Gunning, added: “Romesh has been an incredible supporter of CALM for many years, helping to smash the silence around suicide by normalising chatting about mental health and encouraging people to find support when they need it most.
“Against a pretty bleak backdrop in which rates of suicide continue to rise, and 125 lives are lost each week, we are excited for Romesh to be named CALM Patron and help us in the fight against suicide in the UK.”
The charities latest appointment follows it collaborating with football star and brand ambassador, Declan Rice on its ‘Invisible Opponent’ campaign.
