Background

Covid-19 has taken an emotional toll on Singapore — everyone is struggling with some form of uncertainty-induced anxiety. In fact, more than 9 in 10 Singaporeans (91%) have said their mental health has declined in the last year*. Our pro-bono client, Samaritans of Singapore (SOS) seeks to prevent more people from spiralling deeper into darkness. So in 2021, we made mental wellbeing and suicide prevention everyone’s business. Our communications objectives: Engage a wider community — including corporates, ministries to be part of this year’s rally (not just the man on the street) Scale the campaign — SOS is a non-profit organisation and the most efficient way to scale is to create an idea that will draw partners in naturally Drive longevity — an idea that will last beyond Suicide Prevention Week, one that is easily sustained by SOS beyond 2021's campaign (*AIA study, Apr 2021)

Describe the creative idea (40% of vote)

THE HONEST COOKIE A cookie on a mission to break the silence around mental health in Singapore. Designed with “Honest Questions” (in 4 languages) within, each cookie encourages us to externalise our feelings when we share it with someone else. THE VISION Chatting over a meal is a universal bonding activity. It’s when we can be honest about not being okay. Our dream is to normalise honesty so Singaporeans can show up for one another in daily conversations. ANXIETY RELIEF TOOL Our cookie is also a “grounding tool” that invites people to stay present by engaging their touch, scent, sight, sound and taste: Feel its texture, observe its shape and colour; take in its scent — hear the CRACK before you taste it. MAKING ROOM FOR INTERGENERATIONAL CONVERSATIONS Not sure how to check-in with the young/old in your family? You can now do it by sharing this snack with them!

Describe the execution (40% of vote)

The Honest Cookie takes its name from the experience people share when they break a cookie. The tagline: "Break a cookie. Break the silence." means we need to break just ONE tiny cookie to break THE symbolic silence. Each of the 50,000 cookies we made has the familiar shape of a fortune cookie; with a question slip within in 4 translations for the different ethnic groups in Singapore. Colour plays a key part in our brand identity. We aimed to create a unique personality for our cookie across print, digital and social applications; from packaging to web design and social media content. To set a welcoming and light-hearted tone that wasn’t intimidating, we used a vibrant colour palette comprising pinks and off-reds. The visual device of two cookies “chatting” (complemented with modern, bold typography) makes the experience more open, serene — breaking the “doom and gloom” stereotype around

List the results (20% of vote)

The Honest Cookie drove scale and engagement from the ground up: Over 56.6mil impressions were generated across diverse publications i.e. The Asian Parent, Channel News Asia, Her World, One FM, Zao Bao to Ageless Online – bringing mental health awareness to people from all walks of life. Our partnership with Foodpanda was the largest in scale in SOS history; with Foodpanda distributing cookies to all 300+ of its employees; and delivering them island-wide with LiHO through September. Together, our fundraiser (fund a cookie to fund a conversation) raised over SGD110,000 with the backing of corporates, schools and ministries i.e. The Therapy Room, SJI International, Franklin Templeton, Amgen, Maxi Coffee Bar, Temasek Foundation, McKinsey, UPS Foundation, Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Education. Honest Cookies are now a staple in community centres and a permanent ‘inventory’ for SOS. Enabling anyone to break the silence anytime – by breaking a cookie.