CHALLENGE

Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services is on a mission to prevent suicide in teens and young adults. This year, they tasked us with making their message bolder and more relatable. It’s time to pull the conversation of suicide out into the open and give Gen Z the tools to ask the questions that could save their friend’s life – or their own.

THE MOVE

One of the best ways to help teens and young adults get help when they’re having suicidal thoughts is to create a culture where asking and answering questions about mental health is normal and expected. With a topic as serious as suicide—and an audience with short attention spans—our peer-to-peer message had to be short, direct, and part of the content they already consume. Rather than typical dark and moody concepts, we flipped the script for a vibrant, upbeat vibe that speaks to Gen Z. You’ve probably seen the popular social challenge where friends find out how well they know each other. Only this version of #bestfriendschallenge isn’t all fun and games.