‘Beyond The Call’, a new Victoria Police campaign, created by McCann Melbourne, has brought a past police officer back to deliver a critical message to officers about mental health and suicide warning signs.
The campaign is part of a long term partnership and behaviour change program around mental health and suicide awareness. Late Senior Constable Laurie Fox, husband and father of two took his own life on New Year’s Eve 2012, aged 32.
With the support of his former wife, Belinda Bozykowski and the Victoria Police Mental Health Program office, McCann Melbourne and production group Exit used deepfake technology to create a harrowingly real message from Senior Constable Fox, urging officers in Victoria to seek help and support without fear of consequence.
McCann Melbourne and Exit undertook a complex process involving extensive casting for the live action shoot and using original photos, videos and archival source material from Senior Constable Fox’s life. “What unites police officers is a desire to do meaningful work and go beyond the call to make a difference to the people around them,” McCann Chief Strategy Officer, Simon McCrudden said.
“We worked very closely with Senior Constable Fox’s wife, Belinda, Victoria Police and Secretary of the Police Association of Victoria, Wayne Gatt to give an officer who tragically left us too early the opportunity to continue making a difference.”
McCann Melbourne Creative Director, Andrew Woodhead said the nature of the issue required a new and innovative approach to affect behaviour change.
“We knew that if this project was to have any significant impact we would need to convey our message in a way the audience could not possibly ignore” he said.
Since its launch through Victoria Police’s Bluespace Wellbeing website and Equipt (a free health, wellbeing and sleep app), the awareness campaign has received national news coverage in press and on television. The app has been developed to help Victoria Police employees to identify the signs of mental health struggles and suicidal thoughts in themselves and their colleagues and seek assistance anonymously.
If you need support:
Lifeline: 13 11 14 lifeline.org.au
Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467 suicidecallbackservice.org.au
Beyond Blue: 1300 224 636 beyondblue.org.au/forums
MensLine Australia: 1300 789 978 mensline.org.au
