Helping veterans overcome PTSD and leave the battlefield

For a century, Combat Stress has been helping former servicemen and women deal with mental health issues, like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety and depression.

In this latest ‘Bring Them Home’ campaign, the charity worked in collaboration with an independent production team and Catalyst on a hard-hitting film designed to boost brand awareness and raise significant funds too.

What

The independent production team felt so strongly about veteran mental health they offered to produce a film for free to help raise funds for Combat Stress. Focusing on a terrified veteran trapped on the battlefield, the film showed how PTSD flashbacks can keep veterans locked in the worst moment of their life, preventing them from, psychologically, coming all the way home.

How

With the film as the central creative, we helped define a target market, secured key TV and digital media and got busy with tactical marketing, showing ads in cinemas that were screening Saving Private Ryan in honour of the 75th anniversary of the D-Day invasion. We also capitalised on the brand activity with an integrated fundraising campaign that ranged from door drops and press inserts, to social marketing.

Outcome

Research revealed a significant boost in brand awareness and the campaign hit fundraising targets to boot. The film is also being used in other campaigns and continuing to boost income.