Keep CALM and #TellAMate They're Great This World Mental Health Day

Oct. 11, 2022

Suicide prevention charity Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) has teamed up with Great Guns and director Calum Macdiarmid to craft its latest touching campaign, #TellAMate. Designed for World Mental Health Day, the spot showcases how a few silly words can make all the difference in our relationships.

Set to a fantastical track, the camera ranges between a series of people as they share sweet-albeit unconventional - words for their loved ones, from compliments on their majestic teeth to their ability to pull off tight jeans. As the music cuts, the spot takes a more profound turn, with one man shedding his awkwardness to express his gratitude for his friend’s support during hard times. Whether silly or sincere, "#TellAMate" ultimately shows that it doesn't matter how these words of appreciation are said, as long as they don’t go unsaid.

CALM approached Calum with the brief for a film that explores the daft compliments you can give to friends and juxtaposes them against the serious ones. With no actual script in place, Calum brainstormed with the producers and creatives to come up with the whimsical one-liners delivered in the campaign - including "you’re like a glorious… elk."

Calum and the creatives felt it was important to insert a tonal shift halfway through the spot to contrast its humour with a more heartfelt message. To achieve this, he sets up the film with a lighthearted tone, before hitting the audience with a twist that’s reflected in the music for maximum impact.

Calum initially envisioned the campaign as featuring a more up-tempo track, giving way to slower, more emotional synth pads for the tonal shift; however, after trial, the team found that despite giving the spot a great energy, it didn’t make them laugh. Happening upon the winning harp music, Calum noted that it struck all the right comedy chords and decided to opt for a more subtle approach. Rather than overtly manipulate the audience’s emotion, the magical music simply drops out halfway through, allowing viewers to wallow in the silence of the moment.

Calum Macdiarmid commented:

“I was super excited to collaborate with CALM, as it’s a charity I have been really keen to work with for a while, and I’m so proud of what we’ve achieved together. I want to give a massive shout out to everyone who dedicated their time to make this happen - including the builders who ensured we were able to film the rooftop scene safely, even after they should have gone home!”