Mother wins Samaritans’ pitch with brief to focus on all high risk groups

Mother’s new business team is continuing its strong end to the year.

Following recent wins from Sky and Dune London, the agency has been appointed by Samaritans to deliver the charity’s suicide prevention message.

Samaritans will continue its history of partnering with the rail industry, which presumably provides some free media space as well as relevant context for Samaritans’ work. However, Mother’s new campaign will extend beyond railway suicides to cover all high-risk groups.

The agency’s first work, which is expected to run early next year, will be developed once some extensive research has been completed.

Ana Balarin, a partner at Mother, said: “The challenge to encourage people to seek help, att the time they need it the most, is a humbling creative task – we’re hoping that our efforts alongside Samaritans, Network Rail and the wider rail industry can really make a difference.”

Mother isn’t saying who the agency pitched against, but MullenLowe created the most recent work for the charity. The campaign, which focused on cutting the number of suicides on the railway with a campaign called “We Listen,” won a D&AD Wood Pencil a couple of years ago.

Clare Lemon, head of marketing and brand at Samaritans, said: “Samaritans are always there to offer a non-judgemental listening service, we want to bring that message to more people who may need our help. Working with Mother on this important issue, we want to use their creative skills to encourage more people who need help to seek it.”

There were 6,213 suicides in the UK and Ireland in 2017.