Let’s talk about Bell Let’s Talk
If there’s ever a campaign more controversial than Bell Let’s Talk, let me know. I’ve pretty much seen it all: from IHOP’s advertisements about “flat” women/pancakes to Starbucks’ “Race Together” movement, nothing could be more insensitive than capitalizing on mental health.
Ever since Bell Let’s Talk first launched in 2010, it has become a success worldwide from a marketing standpoint. Hundreds of millions of people are hash-tagging their tweets with “Bell” in front of them, while retweeting photos with its corporate logo plastered at the bottom for charitable purposes. But why #BellLetsTalk and not just #LetsTalk? Rather, why are we promoting a company that has just laid off a worker for requesting a mental health leave in the first place?
At times like these, I tell myself to calm down. Look at the positive, I say as I scroll down my newsfeed and timeline in the middle of January. Breathe, and remark the attention given to the topic: people who use Twitter once in a blue moon are tweeting and using the hashtag. Individuals who normally find the issue uncomfortable to speak of are joining the conversation. Even my conservative high school teacher has chimed in — adding his share of 5 cents that I thought would’ve gone elsewhere.
In other words, Bell’s planned content strategy worked. Not only did the company emerge at a time when mental illness was not spoken of often nor destigmatized, but it uses Blue Monday — the most depressing day of the year — as a date to plan its initiative around. With ambassadors such as 6-time Olympic medallist Clara Hughes, comedian Howie Mandel, and singer Serena Ryder who consistently talk about their own experiences, it goes without saying that Bell Let’s Talk occupies a large pedestal. Just ask Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Or Chris Hadfield. Or Carrie Fisher. Or Kensington Palace, for that matter.
We didn’t know that we needed a #BellLetsTalk until it happened, and that’s why I believe so much in their success. It’s personal and it’s relevant. And as Hughes phrased it ever so eloquently, “Use this as a vehicle to share your opinion, give your insight, share your story, and support someone else’s. Really take this day of awareness and make it your own. Find your voice in these conversations and then let it trickle into the rest of your life.” But don’t forget: we don’t always have to wait until January to start the conversation.
At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what corporations set out to do; rather, it’s how we receive and translate it in a way that makes sense to us. So what if #BellLetsTalk was actually just a ploy to garner free advertising? Sure, it’s vile, but people are talking. People are engaged. And most importantly, people are acting. Bell has started a campaign that’s changed more than just their wallets; it’s changed lives as well. Let’s cherish that for a change. Let’s make it the norm to eradicate shame that accompanies mental illness. Let’s talk about Bell Let’s Talk.
