Ogilvy Health Partners With CALM For National Poetry Day

Ogilvy Health UK has created Life Lines, a new suicide prevention campaign in support of Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM), honouring the estimated 14 men who die by suicide every day in the UK and helping more men put difficult feelings into words. 

Launching for National Poetry Day on 1 October, the campaign centres around a poetry anthology designed to support men by offering a simple, creative way to process difficult emotions and start conversations that could save lives.

Written by people affected by suicide, Life Lines features original poems across four themes: Pressure, Isolation, Stress/Burnout and Trauma. Each poem is exactly 14 lines long, with space for readers to write their own lines, turning the book into both an anthology and a personal journal.

1 in 4 people will experience suicidal thoughts in their lifetime, and in the UK, showing that suicide remains a devastating crisis, particularly among men. In the UK, suicide is the leading cause of death in men under 50, highlighting the urgent need for accessible, relatable ways to reach those who may be struggling.

“Every line in this book represents a life that should still be with us,” says John McPartland, Executive Creative Director EMEA at Ogilvy Health UK, who created the campaign. “With Life Lines, we wanted to create something that helps men recognise, express and share difficult feelings - whether by reading a poem, writing their own lines or simply seeing something of themselves on the page. If one line helps one person open up, it matters.”

Simon Gunning, CALM’s CEO, added: “CALM’s work is all about making suicide prevention a part of daily life, and most of all it’s about meeting people where they are - whether that’s through sport, comedy, music or, as with this beautiful initiative, poetry. It’s why we’re so excited to see Ogilvy bring that message to so many people through their Life Lines campaign, and show that CALM’s services are here for anyone struggling or worried about someone in their life.”

On National Poetry Day, Life Lines books will be distributed at train stations, tube stops and pubs across the UK, meeting men in the places they already are. The campaign will also run across digital out-of-home sites and social channels, with creators helping to share the poems and supporting men to see the benefits of reading, writing and opening up about our struggles or mental health.