Why is this work relevant for Branded Content & Entertainment?

Singapore; a country and culturally relentlessly focused on economic progress, we’ve tended to devalue people we deem unable to contribute economically. However, one in eight Singaporeans will suffer a mental health condition in their lifetime. This Social Experiment video was conducted to bring unsuspecting Singaporeans literally face to face with their prejudice through techniques proven by researchers to counteract implicit bias. The aimed was to make it safe to talk about mental illness, by reframing it: not “sick people” but “resilient Singaporeans” over stories of these individual’s resilience navigating through hardship and their struggle against mental health stigma.

Describe any restrictions or regulations regarding Healthcare/RX/Pharma communications in your country/region including:

There are no restrictions or regulations regarding Government communications for health and awareness in Singapore.

Describe the target audience and why your work is relevant to them.

A nationwide study on mental illness prevalence shows one in eight Singaporeans will suffer a mental health condition in their lifetime. In a culture relentlessly focused on economic progress, this is a very tough place to be “different”, and that’s just a snapshot of what Singapore’s PMHCs struggle against.

Background

In Singapore, people with mental health conditions live in the shadow of a cultural Goliath – popular misperceptions, negative stereotypes and other widespread biases that make life miserable. NCSS wanted to encourage Singaporeans to be more supportive and inclusive – which would mean confronting this Goliath. This campaign harnessed the power of proven reframing techniques to deliver significant (in many cases, double-digit) positive shifts in Singaporeans' knowledge, attitudes and behavior – surpassing all its goals – and created safe spaces for all to talk about the subject. We may not have slain the giant, but we’re inflicting serious damage.

Describe the creative idea

A social experiment was conducted to bring unsuspecting Singaporeans literally face to face with their prejudice through techniques proven by researchers to counteract implicit bias: • Individuation (empathize more with “specific victims” than disadvantaged groups) • Replacing stereotypical responses with positive, non-stereotypical examples • Increasing opportunities for contact The aimed was to make it safe to talk about mental illness, by reframing it: not “sick people” but “resilient Singaporeans.” As they respond positively to stories of individual resilience, of people navigating through hardship on their way to business success. The campaign taps this ethos to tell People with Mental Health Condition's (PMHC) own stories of personal resilience.

Describe the strategy

Research have proven that people fear the things they don't understand. Half of respondents admitted they “have very little knowledge about mental health issues” yet confess they still “hold feelings of prejudice” against PMHCs. More than half said PMHCs “should not be given any responsibility", "not willing to even live near someone with mental health issues" and even “unpredictable and dangerous." While 90% of respondents said other Singaporeans “should adopt a more tolerant attitude”, their own attitudes were anything but trying to be “supportive and inclusive”. So because not every bias is conscious – sometimes you have to introduce people to their own prejudice – “implicit bias”, the attitudes that affect our understanding, actions, and decisions in an unconscious manner due to different known biases sometimes conceal for social and/or political correctness. With the right techniques, implicit biases can unlearned.

Describe the execution

Singapore’s origin story emphasizes hard work and perseverance; civic resilience is our national ethos. Singaporeans also respond positively to stories of individual resilience, of people navigating through hardship to (typically business) success. The campaign taps this ethos to tell PMHCs’ own stories of personal resilience, deploying techniques proven by researchers to counteract implicit bias: • Individuation (people empathize more with “specific victims” than disadvantaged groups) • Replacing stereotypical responses with positive, non-stereotypical examples • Increasing opportunities for contact In a perfect world, PMHCs would feel empowered to initiate contact, share their stories, demonstrate their resilience and disarm stereotypes. But that’s not yet Singapore. So rather than waiting for “contact opportunities” to occur naturally, we engineered a few, combining these techniques in a filmed social experiment that brought unsuspecting Singaporeans literally face to face with their own prejudices.

Describe the outcome

Pre-and post-campaign research conducted by Ipsos and Unruly proves that Beyond The Label surpassed all its targets, delivering significant positive shifts in Singaporeans' knowledge, attitudes and behavior vis-à-vis PMHCs. Got noticed. Campaign awareness reached 66%, driven largely by the Social Experiment Video, beating the target by 65%. Built empathy. Made Singaporeans “feel differently about” (+88%), “realize something new about” (+78%) and “feel emotionally more connected to” (+76%) PMHCs. Drove double-digit increases on “more resilient than I thought” and “can contribute as much as other employees.” Inspired change. Significantly improved willingness to “hire”, “work with” and “live near”, and decreased discomfort “interacting with”, PMHCs – the smallest change was 3x the target level. The Social Experiment Video garnered enough views to make it Singapore’s top YouTube ad for the 2nd half of 2018, beating (among others) iPhone’s XS launch ad. And 61 major employers pledged their commitment to PMHCs’ cause.