Mental health can be a difficult topic of conversation. As a result, the advertising around products, services and support for mental health isn’t often joyful. But that’s exactly how Coles & Co, the New Zealand indie agency gaining traction on Australian shores, approached its latest work, ‘Let You Out,’ created for the Australian Institute of Professional Counsellors (AIPC).
B&T chatted with Jon Coles, co-founder & executive creative director and Renee Williams, creative director about their approach to the work.
‘Let You Out’ was Coles & Co’s first major Australian campaign. It was born from a simple truth–many people are looking for change, but are scared to take the leap of faith that turns their inner desires into external reality. The work celebrates the spark people feel when they finally talk to someone, or when they discover they have it in them to help another person as a counsellor.
The campaign is currently running across regional and metro NSW across social media and podcasts. Outdoor will be kicking off in January.
Centring joy in a traditionally dark category
The team’s aim to centre joy and hope in the campaign was based on an approach to creativity that prioritises emotional intelligence and human truths to create work that resonates.
When asked what emotional intelligence looks like in the creative process, Coles said “it’s pretty simple. Intuition. Experience. And being human-centric. Not plasticky, not unrelatable, just drawing a link to something people genuinely respond to”.
“It’s being able to say ‘I don’t know. And making the effort to step into someone else’s shoes, even when it’s scary or uncomfortable. That’s where change actually happens,” Williams said.
“We knew right from the beginning that we needed to bring a little more joy and hope into the category. It’s so easy to go dark or heavy. But when you do that, you can actually create more stigma, almost like, ‘Are my problems serious enough to see a counsellor?’ Or, ‘Am I really ready to change careers?’” Williams said.
“It was important for us to balance hope and humanity without trivialising the seriousness of mental health. Changing your career is a massive deal. Going to counselling is a massive deal. We never wanted it to feel trivial or disrespectful,” she added.
To do that, the campaign was grounded in personal experiences and feedback from students at the Australian Institute of Professional Counsellors (AIPC) and expert advice from UP Education, which owns AIPC.
“Most students at AIPC do their training online, but once a semester, they come together for a full week. Having been there, met them and listened to them, it became so clear that many had been through counselling themselves or were desperate to change their job. There was such a strong desire to bring something inside them out,” Coles said.
“I always want to talk to as many people as possible and hear their perspectives. What we kept hearing was that people often stay stuck—whether it’s staying in a job that feels safe or avoiding counselling because they think, ‘This is just how it is,'” Williams added.
Combining two narratives
The campaign centres on both receiving and giving help, showing both sides of the counselling experience. It shows how helping others can be just as transformative as receiving support.
The campaign’s animated character—the little “wobbly dude” affectionately known to the team as Wilbur—was used sparingly but intentionally. It represented the joy that comes from finally reaching out for help or taking the steps to help others.
“We were really careful. Our story had to come from human truths. Like the slight smile you share with a counsellor to let them know it’s okay. Or the feeling of getting up in the morning, excited for a career you love,” Williams said.
The spark for the metaphor came from a personal moment for Williams. She was lying under the stars with her children during a camping trip unexpectedly late at night, far past their bedtime.
“It sounds silly, but we never usually see the stars—my kids are always in bed early! And in that moment, I thought, ‘I wish I could be more like this in real life—just free’. That’s where the idea of letting out the lighter version of yourself came from,” she said.
It solved what initially seemed like an impossible strategic puzzle: combining two very different narratives — students learning to become counsellors, and individuals seeking counselling — into one campaign.
“At first, we thought it would be too hard. But the more we listened, the more we realised that even though they’re different journeys, the emotions are surprisingly similar,” Williams said.
“One party can’t exist without the other. The increasing need for counselling naturally drives the need for more counsellors. So it actually became quite logical to bring both sides together,” Coles added.
Coles & Co worked on a rebrand for AIPC last year, and that relationship built trust and gave the agency time to connect with AIPC’s leaders.
“When Renee talked about needing warmth and positivity, we honestly weren’t sure how they’d respond. Mental health is serious, and the category can be conservative. But they were incredibly supportive,” Coles said.
On set, the client teams even helped shape the micro-moments, making sure every interaction felt real.
“Everyone was keen to make something memorable, something that broke the mould and most importantly wasn’t boring,” Williams said.
The work also deliberately avoided a typical, instructive voiceover. “We didn’t want to be preachy. You can’t assume where someone is emotionally when they see the ad. It needed to feel like an emotional space, not a lecture, and the music really carried that,” she added.
The agency’s growth in Australia
For the New Zealand indie, gaining traction across the Tasman is exciting.
“It’s humbling. We’re getting a better sense of the Australian market, and that perspective is really useful for us in New Zealand too. It’s helping us grow, and helping us help others grow,” Coles said. As for what’s next, Coles could only share that “this is the type of work we want to do more of. Getting our name out there is part of that. We want to connect with like-minded organisations”.
“At a simple level, we like to do good work for good brands. We’re a values-based business, so we’re very picky with clients. With this campaign, it ticked both the client goal and the community benefit — a double whammy,” he added.
In a category that’s often bleak, ‘Let You Out’ challenged the norm to bring light, warmth and humanity. In doing so, it aims to set a new standard for what emotionally intelligent creativity can be.
Campaign Credits
Creative Agency: Coles & Co
Creative Director: Renee Williams
Founder & Executive Creative Director: Jon Coles
Client Service Director: Carla Tamahori
Senior Copywriter: Mike Ramsey
Senior Designer: Dan Sulit
Account Manager: Lauren Marrion
Client: Australian Institute of Professional Counsellors (AIPC)
Client Lead: Wade Johnson, Head of Marketing – UP Education
Senior Marketing and Campaign Manager: Sophie Carey
Marketing Manager: Jemma Smith
CEO: Sandra Poletto
Media Planning: D3
Business Director: Denise Tan
Production: Eyes and Ears
