The film is a collaboration between creative agency McCann Health, production company Jelly and animation directors Niceshit. While it takes a cutesy, singalong approach, it aims to raise awareness of the serious difficulties that emergency workers face, and how this can affect them day-to-day if they don’t seek support.

Each of the characters represents some of the feelings that workers can be repressing, including ‘rising dread’, ‘red rage’, and ‘power less’.

The spot is created to promote the work of the Laura Hyde Foundation, which aims to ensure frontline workers have access to mental health support. A recent suicide prevention guide published by the foundation states that emergency services staff are over 40% more likely to be impacted by severe mental health issues and over 50% are less likely to take up support.

The animation follows campaign work from other charities, including Frontline 19, which are also focused on supporting emergency workers.

The Feelings takes a less hard-hitting way of articulating this message, but the various campaigns come together to highlight the importance of recognising that the true ‘heroes’ of the pandemic are human too and in need of vital support at times.

“Our healthcare and emergency services are still facing a pandemic to overcome. This time, it isn’t Covid-19 but the state of mental health and wellbeing of the workforce, and we are yet to see the true effects of burnout, PTSD and many more conditions as a result of this testing time,” says Liam Barnes, Laura Hyde Foundation trustee chair.

“The topic of mental health specifically for healthcare workers remains riddled with stigma. We encourage anyone who is struggling right now, worried about a
colleague/friend/family member, or needing help to improve wellbeing in your workplace to contact us.”

Credits:
Agency: McCann Health London
ECD: Guy Swimer
Deputy ECD: Kieran Delaney
Associate Creative Director: Libby Middlehurst
Senior Art Director: Cem Hasimi
Production Company: Jelly
Animation: Niceshit
Creative Directors: Carmen Angelillo, Rodier Kidmann, Guido Lambertini