Suicide is now the leading cause of death for people under 34 in the UK. In the last decade we have lost over 6,000 young people to suicide in the UK. We needed to unite the public in addressing the tragedy of youth suicide and empower every adult to play a role in protecting young lives.

6,929 young lives lost to suicide in ten years isn’t just a tragedy, it’s a generation of lost potential

Launching ahead of World Suicide Prevention Day, at the heart of our campaign was an installation of 6,929 birthday balloons in Europe’s biggest shopping centre, Westfield London. Bright and joyful from afar, only on closer inspection would people realise that each balloon represented a young life lost to suicide in the last decade, and the birthday they never reached.​​

Missed Birthdays was a fully integrated campaign that used installation, out-of-home, partners, influencers PR, owned and paid channel to make youth suicide a nationwide talking point. The installation itself was announced live to the country on ITV’s national show, This Morning, which kick-started three days of programming focussed on youth mental health.​​

The conversation expanded across social and digital platforms, with CALM ambassadors and media partners amplifying the message. OOH, DOOH, and print media displayed individual stories of young suicide victims, using the balloon motif to signify uncelebrated birthdays.​​

Following the activation, we launched a TV film featuring Evelyn’s story. Evelyn’s mum beautifully narrates the film, remembering her daughter’s beaming smile, kind heart and amazing hugs. The words form an emotional letter to Evelyn ahead of her birthday and in the final frame, she is seen holding up balloons, celebrating her 15th birthday. Towards the end of the film, viewers learn that Evelyn never celebrated her 16th birthday. Evelyn is one of 6,929 young people who have taken their own life in the past decade.