The Run72 event, dedicated to promoting mental health awareness, recently concluded, successfully raising almost $37,000 to fund counselling support. This achievement was made possible through a campaign orchestrated by Strategy Creative.
Run72 is an event created off the back of a staggering statistic: in New Zealand, 72 percent of suicides are male. Every year during Mental Health Awareness Week, the event encourages members of the Christchurch community to run laps, non-stop, for three days. The funds raised from the endeavour are put towards free counselling for students.
A few months ago, Lads Without Labels reached out to Strategy Creative to see if they could help put together the campaign for Run72. With a love for running and a deep respect for mental health awareness, Strategy team members were glad to lace up and put their creative minds to the test.
Fraser Callaway, Strategy Creative’s Managing Partner, explains the motivation behind helping: “For me, this was one of those meetings that sent shivers down my spine. It felt like fate. Men’s mental health and running, two things I have recently run into head on. So, it’s safe to say we were all in and willing to throw everything at it”
The striking campaign visuals, spotted all over Ōtautahi, were built around the geometric forms of running tracks and racing yellow. Behind the scenes, a real partnership between organisations enabled Run72 to come to life, with the participation of New Balance, Ārepa, The Transfer Co for the visual signage and Go Media, Phantom Billstickers and MediaWorks jumped on board to help spread the campaign.
Thanks to the union of organisations, residents and students, Run72 smashed its target, boasting 18,036 laps of the 1.8km loop and nearly $37,000 raised. All funds will go towards 240 hours of free counselling support for students in need.
Michael Green, Partnerships Coordinator, says: “From our very first meeting in the Strategy studio, I knew we had struck gold. Strategy delivered us a campaign that not only captured the vision Lads had for Run72, but cemented a timeless set of assets for future use. The success of this campaign speaks for itself – from its 2022 iteration, Run72 saw double the amount of laps run and more than triple the amount of funds raised. From the first conversation to the final lap run, Fraser, Chris and the rest of the Strategy team were the ultimate partners – skilled, timely, communicative, and more than anything else, great people. I couldn’t give praise of a higher regard.”
Though the event is now complete, donations to the cause are still being accepted on their givealittle.
