By Dessa Bayrock (The Cascade) – Email
Print Edition: January 29, 2014
Four years ago, Bell launched an initiative called “Bell Let’s Talk.”
It’s a simple phrase. Let’s talk. It can be used in a thousand contexts, from I haven’t seen you in a while and we should catch up to We need to discuss where this relationship is going to That creepy guy is staring at me again pretend to have a conversation with me so I can act like I don’t see him.
In the context of this campaign, the phrase “Let’s talk” means Mental illness exists all around us, and people deal with it silently. Let’s stop the stigma. Let’s stop the silence. Let’s talk.
By using such a short phrase, Bell nailed one of the core values of what helps something go viral: a simple message. They’ve packed a lot into just a couple of words, and it’s something that can be passed from person to person, Facebook status to Facebook status, extremely easily.
On one hand, this campaign and its support is staggering, inspiring, and absolutely necessary. The message — that mental illness isn’t something to be ashamed of, that it is something we should be helping each other with, that is it’s something that needs to be spoken about — is something I believe needs to be brought to the table. Bell can track exactly how many people tweet and post this simple message, and it’s well into the millions every year, often added to personal stories of mental illness or messages of support.
But Bell sneaks something else into this message, which (after all) isn’t two words but three: Bell Let’s Talk.
Branding.
Yes, Bell media uses this campaign to broach the subject of mental illness on a national scale. But the media conglomorate also uses this campaign as advertising — also on a national scale. The entire campaign is three words: Bell Let’s Talk. The official hashtag is #BellLetsTalk. The website is letstalk.bell.ca. Sensing a theme? The two parts — corporation and message — are never seen apart.
This bothers me on several levels.
A nation of people admit that it’s okay to be vulnerable, opening their hearts and minds to those who struggle with mental health. While these people are feeling tingly and supportive, why not encourage them to link those fuzzy feelings with Bell?
There is one reason to include the company name in the slogan, and one reason only: it makes good marketing sense.
Not that you’ll find that reasoning anywhere on the website or press releases.
Reading Bell’s information about the campaign is like playing that game where you break open your fortune cookie and add “in bed” to the end of your fortune.
“Talking is the first step toward meaningful change and to build greater awareness—”
Of Bell.
“—acceptance—”
Of Bell.
“—and action.”
Possibly toward purchasing a new smart phone and upgrading your current plan to include data.
We live in an age where ad space is at a premium, where corporate names bedeck parks, stadiums, and literary awards. Maybe it’s naïve to think some things should be able to stand alone without the name of a bank or a cola or a media company plastered all over it. But that is what I think.
Encouraging mental health awareness and support is crucial, and not always something that’s on the agenda. If we can bring that to the forefront, into both public and private conversation, then this campaign has succeeded.
But when I offer my support to those around me, whether or not they have or will or do struggle with mental health, I’ll be leaving Bell out of it.
Let’s talk.
