After research done by Jansport, they found that 7 out of 10 young people say their mental health has taken a toll on them since the pandemic. The campaign set up by JanSport, “LightenTheLoad”, is there to help the younger generations openly engage in conversations about mental health. The message behind the campaign was to “unpack” their thoughts and not feel alone during the pandemic.
The campaign promoted the idea of “sharing is caring,” which then led them to create a film series of Gen Z’s sharing their mental health journey and how they “LightenTheLoad” by sharing. The films were to help normalize conversations on mental health by telling stories of people tackling anxiety, depression, family conflict, and understanding their identity. On their website, they show several hotlines and websites for different areas people may be affected in.
The main feature on their website was their “#LightenTheLoad,” hashtag. The hashtag helped reach a larger audience on any social media platform. Among the colours, they have also used videos on the campaign of teenagers speaking on subjects on anxiety, depression, emotions, and family matters. These videos could be accessed amongst other platforms, including YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook. Not only are the preferred generational group speaking on experiences, but also professional therapists used to answer any queries the consumer may have.
Due to the financial and physical health crises of the pandemic, it is important to focus on mental health, mostly towards young people. The unknown of their future, jobs, and lives can increase their levels of stress and anxiety.
They started to reach the target audience through the social media platform, Instagram. They created weekly live Instagram sessions in May to fit in with mental health awareness month. This encouraged young people to take part in open conversations between experts and influencers.
Jansport did this by partnering up with Teenage Therapy, a group of five teenagers. The podcasts would discuss topics like mental health, school and family, friendships, sexuality, and more. This allowed teens to join calls or listen to live chats during the isolation period.
“#LightenTheLoad has already seen unprecedented engagement between Gen Z and the JanSport brand,”
Monica Rigali, Senior Director of Marketing at JanSport.
The live streams were set out in a timeline plan:
First live- 6 May, 2020
The main topic of discussion was isolation
In this stream, they spoke about how to handle loneliness not only during the pandemic, but before it. They expressed the struggles with social media and the feeling of being left out of today’s world.
The second live- May, 2020
Compassion Fatigue
In this podcast, the topics of presidential elections, climate change, and the global pandemic were discussed. With the generation becoming more politically and socially aware, brands like Jansport are wanting to denounce the stigma towards mental health and allow natural conversations. They addressed how they could deal with how to be informed, but also be involved without feeling overwhelmed.
Third live-20 May, 2020
Uncertainty
As no one can predict the future, they discussed how to mentally prepare for the unknown.
Last live-May 27, 2020
Whilst families can provide you with a secure and safe feeling, they may also cause some distress. In the final live, they discuss family matters and how to reduce stress due to arguments within the family.
Throughout their campaign, they used vibrant colours like yellows, oranges, reds, and pinks to almost be eye-catching to consumers. Their website is quite subtle with the main colours being whites, blacks, and blues so the colours of the campaign worked well.
The main feature on their website was their “#LIGHTENTHELOAD,” the hashtag helps reach a larger audience on any social media platform.
Among side the colours, they have also used videos on the Among side the colours, they have additionally used videos on the campaign. They had teenagers speak about subjects regarding anxiety, depression, emotions, and family matters. These videos could also be accessed amongst other platforms, including YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook. Not only are teenagers speaking on experiences, but also professional therapists used to answer any queries the listeners may have.
