When it really matters, the tone has to be right.

Samaritans research found that men in rural areas struggling with their mental health are far less likely than men in urban areas to reach out for support. To counter this, the charity joined forces with the NFU Mutual Charitable Trust to launch a new phase of its "Real People, Real Stories" campaign, reaching out to men in rural communities before they hit crisis point.

To communicate this important message, they turned to Trisonic.

The highest stakes brief there is

This is about as high-stakes as an audio brief gets. The wrong tone could alienate the very people the campaign needs to reach. Too clinical and it sounds like a public service announcement. Too emotional and it feels manipulative. The creative had to be direct, empathetic, and credible to men who aren't inclined to ask for help.

Voices that belong

After a great deal of thought, we presented a range of script ideas and worked with the Samaritans team to hone the message. The initial campaign targeted the Western Highlands of Scotland, South Wales, the North of England and Northern Ireland - communities where trust is local.

So we produced different versions using voice artists from each region, delivering the script in their local dialect. We also produced a Welsh-language version for South Wales. These weren't generic regional accents. These were genuine voices that spoke with heart to the communities they belonged to.

The sound design was subtle: rural context, not rural cliché. Enough to place the listener without distracting from a message that needed to land cleanly.

Hitting home

Samaritans got a campaign that hit home. Direct, empathetic, and designed to reach the people who are hardest to reach.