Man Therapy Goes Global!

MEN’S MENTAL HEALTH CAMPAIGN GOES GLOBAL AND WINS NATIONAL AWARDS

The Innovative Man Therapy™ Campaign Flourishing in First Year

Denver, Colorado. July 10, 2013.  One year after its launch, Man Therapy, a successful online campaign developed in Colorado to improve men’s mental health, celebrates many exciting milestones including two major national awards and an international expansion. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s Office of Suicide Prevention, the Carson J Spencer Foundation and the Cactus advertising agency launched Man Therapy in Colorado in July 2012 to overcome the stigma men associate with mental health treatment in the last month the campaign reached almost 300,000 people in its first year, launched in Australia and won the American Advertising Federation National Gold Addy Award and the Safe States Alliance Innovative Initiative of the Year Award.

The Australian version follows the approach of the Colorado campaign, substituting Dr. Brian Ironwood for Dr. Rich Mahogany and Australian cultural references for American, but continuing the man’s man, no-nonsense, tongue-in-cheek approach to getting men to talk about their feelings and get treatment.

Mantherapy.org is the centerpiece of the campaign. Colorado men who visit find they have a virtual appointment with Dr. Rich Mahogany, a man’s man dedicated to cutting through the stigma of mental health with his rapier wit, no-nonsense approach and practical advice for men. His office is open year-round at any hour, and he often sees five men at a time. Visitors navigate through Dr. Mahogany’s virtual office, finding useful information, taking an 18-point “head inspection” and receiving a list of possible therapies.

The site has generated almost 600 unique visitors a day since its inception, over 30,000 people have completed the self-assessment, and 90 percent of them reported they are very likely or likely to take the advice and recommendations prescribed after their exam.

The Australian Department of Health and Aging and men’s mental health organization beyondblue studied the effectiveness of Man Therapy, found evidence to support licensing the campaign and began a multi-million-dollar media campaign to introduce www.mantherapy.org.au/  and Dr. Brian Ironwood to Australians.

“Dr. Brian Ironwood is a quintessential Aussie bloke, except he understands the importance of good mental health,” said Kate Carnell, chief executive officer of beyondblue. “We hope Man Therapy will help us make depression more understandable and less embarrassing in Australia, so men will talk about how they feel and get help if they need it.”

In addition, in June the Man Therapy partners were awarded the 2013 Safe States Alliance Innovative Initiative of the Year Award, in recognition of a truly unique and creative initiative with the potential to substantially decrease injuries and violence. The Safe States Alliance is a national membership organization of injury and violence prevention experts and practitioners from every state in the US.

Finally, Man Therapy was also awarded the Gold ADDY Award for Public Service: Digital Advertising by the American Advertising Federation. The ADDY Awards recognize the highest level of advertising excellence in all forms from anywhere in the world.

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About the Carson J Spencer Foundation - Sustaining a Passion for Living

The Carson J Spencer Foundation (www.CarsonJSpencer.org) is a Colorado nonprofit, established in 2005.  We envision a world where leaders and communities are committed to sustaining a passion for living. We sustain a passion for living by:

• Delivering innovative and effective suicide prevention programs for working-aged people
• Coaching young leaders to develop social enterprises for mental health promotion and suicide prevention
• Supporting people bereaved by suicide

About Cactus

Cactus is a full-service brand communications agency providing business solutions for companies and causes through brand strategy, advertising, design, interactive and media services. Cactus has been nationally recognized for its breakthrough creative executions by The One Show, Communication Arts, The Webby Awards, South by Southwest, Favourite Website Awards, Advertising Age, Creativity and Print’s Regional Design Annual. To learn more about Cactus, visit http://www.sharpideas.com.

About Colorado Office of Suicide Prevention

Office of Suicide Prevention, a legislatively mandated entity of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, charged with serving as the lead entity for statewide suicide prevention and intervention efforts, collaborating with Colorado communities to reduce the number of suicide deaths and attempts in the state.