Lockdown Anniversary: Turning a COVID Milestone into a Spotlight on Youth Mental Health
We were tasked with elevating the profile of a mental health service provider to raise national awareness of its full mental-health offering and position the brand as a trusted clinical authority.
Our approach
The upcoming (March 2025) five-year anniversary of the first COVID-19 lockdown would be of high media interest, providing an opportunity to discuss its impact on the UK’s emotional well-being.
To give the campaign a strong narrative, we decided to focus on young people who were in secondary or tertiary education during the pandemic. To ground the story in evidence, we commissioned research into the long-term effect of COVID-19 on the mental health of 18-25-year-olds and their guardians. The findings revealed continuing anxiety, disrupted sleep and delayed help-seeking, giving journalists fresh data and a clear news hook.
To humanise the statistics, we secured compelling first-person case studies and provided broadcast-level media training for a member of the clinical team, ensuring authoritative, credible and consistent commentary across all media channels.
A phased outreach plan placed live broadcast interviews, then released tailored angles to national, regional and online titles.
“People expected young people to bounce back
[after COVID] but, clearly, this hasn’t happened for so many of us.” - 19-year-old case study
Outcome
As a result of tailored media outreach, including a half-day of broadcast media interviews, the initiative generated 390 items of media coverage. This included a national television segment, 21 radio interviews, a news bulletin that aired across 353 additional radio stations, 11 national and regional news pieces and further pickup across online news outlets and social media.
Importantly, 99% of media coverage included the brand name and referenced the study, 98% highlighted the importance of professional support (including talking therapies) and 94% of coverage directed audiences to the website.
The campaign’s effectiveness is demonstrated by its measurable influence on website engagement. Our client experienced a 9.6% monthly increase in organic search clicks and a 7.2% monthly rise in active users.
By combining data, authentic lived experience and expert clinical insight, the campaign turned a national anniversary into a powerful platform for our client and delivered measurable growth in brand engagement.
