Calm Unveils 6,929 Balloons to Spotlight Youth Suicide Awareness

Missed Birthdays: A Powerful Campaign by adam&eveDDB and CALM Highlights Youth Suicide Crisis

London, September 2024 — Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) has launched a poignant new campaign, “Missed Birthdays,” created by adam&eveDDB, to address the escalating youth suicide crisis. In a striking installation at Westfield London, thousands of birthday balloons symbolize the ages that 6,929 young individuals did not reach due to suicide over the past decade.

The installation, which will be active from September 9th to 11th—coinciding with World Suicide Prevention Day on September 10th—uses birthday balloons, a universal symbol of celebration, to communicate a somber message of loss and raise awareness about youth suicide. Each balloon represents a young life lost, turning the tragic statistics into a tangible, unignorable visual.

Campaign Details:

– Event Location: Westfield London
– Dates: September 9-11, 2024
– Highlight: World Suicide Prevention Day on September 10, 2024

Visitors to the installation will have the opportunity to hear heartfelt voice notes from loved ones of those who have died by suicide. These notes offer personal reflections and insights, aiming to foster dialogue and increase understanding about the impact of youth suicide.

The campaign is supported by the7stars, which has secured strategic media partnerships to amplify the message through press, digital, and out-of-home channels. Plans include TV and radio segments to further extend the campaign’s reach. Media partners such as JCDecaux, Bauer, Reach, and others are contributing to this widespread awareness effort.

CALM’s ongoing partnership with ITV will include dedicated programming on youth suicide, featuring live broadcasts and interviews on ITV’s flagship daytime show, ‘This Morning’, with CALM CEO Simon Gunning and other key figures.

The campaign also introduces the CALM C.A.R.E. kit, a newly developed resource designed to equip trusted adults with practical tools to support young people in crisis.

The Missed Birthdays campaign is made possible through funding from the Iceland Foods Charitable Foundation (IFCF). Following the event, the installation will be donated to the Children’s Scrap Project for reuse in various educational and creative projects.

Simon Gunning, CEO of CALM, remarked, “It’s devastating for a young person to not make it to their 15th, 16th, or 17th birthday. Over the last decade, 6,929 families have faced this tragedy. We hope this campaign opens up conversations and equips everyone with the tools needed to support young people in their lives.”

Ant Nelson and Mike Sutherland, Executive Creative Directors at adam&eveDDB, added, “The stark contrast between the number of lives lost and the celebratory nature of birthday balloons brings the tragedy of youth suicide into sharp focus. We hope this campaign inspires action and helps end youth suicide.”

For more information and to get involved, visit CALM’s official website and explore the resources available for supporting young people in crisis.

Credits

Official Partner: ITV
Official Sponsor: Iceland Foods Charity Foundation
Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM)
Simon Gunning: ceo
Dipika Saggi: marketing director
Pippa Rogers: delivery lead
Wendy Robinson: services director
Elizabeth Charlesworth: head of pr and communications
Emma O’Sullivan: social media manager
Sarah McGuire: head of creative operations
Danny Wright: creative copy lead
Annabelle Letten: content and editorial lead
Milly Whyman: performance marketing manager
Sam Quinton: art director
Georgey Lee: graphic designer
adamandeveDDB
Rick Brim: chief creative officer
Ant Nelson: executive creative director
Mike Sutherland: executive creative director
Jay Parekh: creative
Forrest Clancy: creative
Nikki Cramphorn: head of integrated production
Sally Pritchett: head of integrated production
Jaki Jo Hannan: head of print production & experiential
Sally Patterson: producer
Brittany Littlewood: producer
Catarina van Leuven: assistant producer
Hannah King: producer
Miranda Hipwell: chief executive officer
Cicely Milsom: business director
Carrie Pollock: account director
Jude Green: account executive
Martin Beverley: chief strategy officer
Will Grundy: head of planning
Jack Gilbert: senior planner
Rasha Noronha: project director
Tom Campbell: senior legal counsel
King Henry Studios
Scott Silvey: head of design
Oliver Watts: designer
Dave Callow: head of artwork
Sam Harris: designer
Jon Webb: retouching studio manager
Dan Jackson: retoucher
adamandeveDDB Studios
Tara Thompson: senior shoot producer
Stephen Mead: director of creative content
Jay Tijani: print producer
Tony Hutton: print producer
Dean Cronin: artworker
Trev Malone: qc operator
Sam Kim: technical motion lead
Gareth Evans: print producer
Pata Malecka: resource manager
James Ireland: head of editing
the7stars
Ben Edwards: strategy director
Mehul Ashra: strategy director
Chris Gilfoy: head of strategy
Helen Oakley: client lead
Lewis Shaw: managing partner; investment & commercial
Michelle Sarpong: commercial lead
Hope & Glory
Don Ferguson: deputy MD
Amber Druce: senior account director
Amy Jones: creative director
Melissa Bristol: senior account manager
Rebecca Buckby: senior account executive
Liam Sheppard: account executive
Ella Thompson: account executive
Creative Giants
Simon Vaughan: director
Ben Kearns: design director
Maree Featherstonhaugh: producer
Balloon Room
Balloon Architects: technical production and av
PF Events: technical production and av
Outback Rigging: rigging
Conex Walling: walling
Westfield Rise: venue
Event LX: lighting
750mph
Olivia Ray: head of production
Giselle Hall: sound engineer
Together Associates
Joss Mckinley: photographer
Jon Simpson: producer
Six Minutes Casting
Josie Cole: casting director
Rebecca Lloyd-Evans: co-founder
Interval Films
Ollie Larkin: founder & director
Obstacle Films
Oliver Nias: founder & executive producer
Simon Elsbury: camera operator
Tom Legge: camera operator
London Drone Company
Ross Turner: drone capture
Tim Rundle Spiers: drone capture
Harry Mitchell: photographer