Brief Explanation

In 2015, Deakin University (Deakin) discovered that VCE students were more stressed and anxious than ever. The Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) had identified a “42% increase (since 2009) in the number of students applying for special provisions due to significant health impairments relating to anxiety” (TheAge). This finding was echoed by mental health organisations Headspace and Beyond Blue – who saw calls related to anxiety and depression, peak during STUVAC. To add fuel to the fire, the category is at its most active during this insanely stressful time. Universities typically funnel 60% of annual ATL investment into the months of September to December (AQX media data) in order to remain top-of-mind and secure coveted student preferences. Then - three weeks out from final exams - the category ‘goes dark’ in line with advertising restrictions from VTAC and erratic student media behaviours. It’s a fiercely competitive market environment, fraught with complexity and clutter. Therein lay our communication opportunity. While our competitors were bombarding stressed out students with hard-sell messages and the media were talking about the problem of escalating student stress levels, no one was doing anything to help reduce student’s stress levels at the core. We decided that the best way to position Deakin for future consideration was to create a worthwhile distraction, a moment of structured escapism for stressed out VCE students. We wanted to get on their radar in a relevant and interesting way when they desperately needed some levity and relief from the intensity of VCE study. So, we locked a robot, a ghost, a hot dog and a sloth in a propped studio for a week, armed them with dangerous weapons and invited them to smash the shit out of the place – all in the spirit of helping VCE students to blow off some virtual steam without ever having to leave their desks. With an unorthodox strategy of mayhem and mischief, Stress Break captured the imagination of over 8 million students, attracted 273,988 website visits and raised Deakin’s profile amongst 17-18 year olds by reducing their stress levels by 84.75%, all within hours of launch. We smashed the short-term objective set out for this project: ‘Cultural velocity’ - measured by acceleration, engagement, credibility, impact and memorability.