GenM, the menopause partner for brands, has launched a campaign to help men understand the mental health implications of the menopause.
Created by Leeds agency Propaganda and entitled “Shattered”, the main imagery shows a man with a shattered screen over his face, with the slogan “Misunderstanding menopause shatters lives”.
The campaign was inspired by David and Linda Salmon. Linda, 56, took her own life in April 2020. Lockdown had contributed to the deterioration of her mental health, but also as a result of entering the perimenopause – the transition period before menopause.
Her husband, David, later said he had not realised the menopause could cause suicidal thoughts.
He said: "If we had understood the menopause and the symptoms that Linda was experiencing, we’d have been able to get her the help she needed and she might still be here with us today.”
GenM approached David after reading his and his wife’s story, and built the campaign with his input.
Founding partners of GenM, including Boots, Innocent and Always Discreet, have supported the campaign.
With media planning and buying by Edison Media and IDS Media, the out-of-home campaign will run during February across bus billboards in London and with a bigger billboard in David’s home town of Keighley, West Yorkshire.
The ads will also appear on gym screens across the country and on The Guardian’s website.
Heather Jackson, co-founder of GenM, said: “We founded GenM to help brands recognise the role they have in using their power and influence to improve the menopause experience for all.
“We always say that the menopause isn’t simply a human resources issue or diversity and inclusion issue, but a business issue because it affects every area of a company from workplace policy and internal comms to product development and customer engagement to signposting and marketing.”
There are currently 15.5 million menopausal women in the UK.
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