In April this year, Three, in partnership with Chelsea FC and Samaritans, re-launched their #TalkMoreThanFootball campaign, to encourage UK football fans to open up and talk about their mental health.
Research of 2,000 football fans across the UK shows that two-thirds (67%) of fans struggle with their mental health, whilst 1 in 3 have never spoken to anyone about it.
Following on from last year’s award-winning campaign, Three teamed up with footballer turned Hollywood hardman, Vinnie Jones. Delivering a poignant ‘team talk’ to the nation, Vinnie encouraged fans to reach out to friends and loved ones and to start that conversation.
The campaign was launched at the Chelsea vs Manchester United match, where Three delivered a stadium takeover at Stamford Bridge and across social. Total views of Vinnie’s ‘team talk’ video across TV and social reached 142.5 million, with 495 million earned media reach including 28 UK press articles, 13 nationals and 2 broadcasts.
Most importantly, the campaign had a meaningful impact, with 91% of football fans saying they are more likely to open up about their mental health after seeing the add. Three continue to try and make a positive difference by recently offering mental health training sessions both in person and virtually at Stamford Bridge for football fans across the UK.
As Vinnie says, “My feelings would get the better of me…but the difference between back then and now, is that when I’m feeling rubbish, I don’t just bottle it up, I talk about it.”
Click here to watch the impassioned ‘team talk’ from Vinnie Jones.
