Aardman and ilk ask What’s Up With Everyone?

The past year has had a seismic effect of the mental health of pretty much everyone, whether it be loneliness, anxiety or depression.

With this in mind, Leeds-based integrated agency ilk has been appointed by Aardman to promote its new mental health campaign, What’s Up With Everyone; developed in partnership with leading researchers and mental health charities.

Through a charmingly animated and concise short film series, the campaign introduces five characters, each of whom is contending with an issue related to loneliness, perfectionism, competitiveness, independence and social media - five of the most common issues negatively impacting young people.

The campaign forms part of a research project commissioned and funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), part of UK Research and Innovation, at a time when the pandemic has increased the focus on youth mental wellbeing, with reports that two-thirds of young people have experienced worse mental health during the period of lockdown restrictions.

The campaign was created in collaboration with the University of Nottingham, Loughborough University, the London School of Economics and Politics, young people’s mental health expert, Dr. Dominique Thompson, the Mental Health Foundation and mental wellbeing charity, Happy Space.