British insurance brand AXA is focusing on the very topical issue of opening up about mental health in its latest campaign.

Agency Fallon London was briefed to come up with a campaign demonstrating AXA's commitment to improving people's lives and also using access to talent at Liverpool FC as part of the brand's sponsorship agreement. The resulting spots center on four individuals’ stories about how they experienced difficulties with their mental health, with the hero spot set to a spoken word poem written by one of them, the non-binary Aiysha Humphreys, who struggled with her gender identity.

Another film focuses on Sophie Bradley-Auckland, the captain of Liverpool Women FC, who talks about how she struggled to cope after an injury but found help from her teammates. There's also a film centered on the founder of a podcast for Dads and another about a man who found social media exacerbated his problems after illness. A dedicated content hub on AXA's website contains more information about the stories behind the campaign, and also directs people who are struggling with their own mental health on where to get help. 

 “This campaign isn’t about insurance, but instead highlights the need to talk and the benefits of sharing our thoughts and feelings," said Chaka Sobhani, chief creative officer at Leo Burnett / Fallon. "People often find it difficult to talk about their mental health, so it’s a bold move for AXA to put this front and center of the campaign. The initiative embodies real-life stories of people’s struggles with mental health and how they overcame these struggles–a conversation that we feel should be part of our everyday culture.”