The campaign includes digital outdoor ads and social media posts to show the last message sent by men before they took their own life.

The goal is for people who may be struggling or at risk of harming themselves in some way so that if you notice any signs – don’t hesitate! Start a conversation with them right away because it could save lives

ONS research shows that suicide is the biggest killer of men under 45, with men making up 76% of all suicides in the UK over the past decade. Although attitudes are changing, there are still many barriers that prevent people from seeking help for mental health problems, including suicide.

Men’s Minds Matter is a not-for-profit organisation that specialises in developing psychological interventions for people at risk of suicide. Their model of

Psychological Entrapment and Suicidal Crises is the first of its kind and brings together science and lived experience of suicide. The model now underpins and guides all of their work.

Tommy Lee, Senior Copywriter at Media Bounty, said:

“For many of us, suicide might feel like something that only happens on the news. But the numbers are staggering – we all have a message from a friend that could be the last. It’s so important to talk, no matter how excruciating that idea might be. Thanks to the families and friends who took part in the campaign. It’s been an honour to tell their stories.”

Nigel Sanderson (MMM Director and Expert with Lived Experience) and Dr Luke Sullivan (MMM Director and Clinical Psychologist) said:

“We’re really excited to be collaborating with Media Bounty on this campaign. Not only will it help to raise awareness about suicide in men, it will also help to support our ambitions to save lives and bring a focus to our work. At MMM, we have developed a model for intervention which we believe can save lives. Our model explains suicidality at the individual psychological level. This allows us to structure our interventions in a way which targets the mechanisms that lead to and maintain suicidality. We’re super psyched to have this nailed down and we’re already having success applying the model in MMM and NHS crisis services.”

The collaboration is part of Media Bounty’s pro-bono initiative, with the agency donating time and expertise to not-for-profit organisations picked by team members. The ads are displayed this week on billboards across the UK, with space donated by Ocean Outdoor and Clear Channel, in partnership with BambOOH.

If you have suicidal thoughts, or suspect a friend or loved one does, then visit MensMindsMatter.org for information that can help.