Digital OOH Drives 66% Increase in Pledges Over Facebook for “Please Stay” PSA

OOH Impact: Elevating Suicide Prevention Campaign

Prior to May 2021, Find Your Anchor, a grassroots suicide prevention, awareness, and education initiative; Born This Way Foundation, Lady Gaga’s nonprofit mental-wellness organization; and the Ali Forney Center, a nonprofit that provides housing and supportive services to LGBTQIA+ homeless youth, had relied heavily on Facebook to drive awareness of their public service announcement (PSA) – the Please Stay Pledge, a powerful suicide prevention project. However, the recent introduction of out-of-home (OOH) to their media mix has significantly elevated the campaign’s impact – and potentially saved young lives.

The integration of OOH yielded immediate and measurable results, driving a 66 percent increase in online pledge participants, a 32 percent rise in printed pledge downloads, and boosting website page views by 33 percent. In total, the 21-state OOH campaign generated 194 million impressions between May and July, a media value of more than $1.8 million. Talon America supported the campaign pro-bono, developing a media strategy and securing targeted media placements in partnership with Clear Channel Outdoor, Lamar Advertising, OUTFRONT Media, Pivot Media Ventures, Intersection Co., and New Tradition.

The nonprofits devised the launch of the Please Stay Pledge after a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study painted a bleak picture of the nation’s mental health during the pandemic, including harrowing stats on the uptick in young adults considering suicide. The powerful PSA asks individuals to take a pledge to stay alive and tap numerous mental health resources via its dedicated website. The OOH campaign creative displayed compelling messages, such as “This is the sign you’ve been looking for.” and “We need you here,” which were specifically designed to interrupt suicide and encourage those contemplating self-harm to seek help.

“As a result of the Talon-led OOH campaign, online engagement and ultimately pledges have soared in a span of two months. What’s also notable is that before turning to OOH to amplify our suicide intervention and prevention message, the number one Please Stay acquisition source was Facebook. Now, thanks to our OOH ads, the primary source has shifted directly to our website, which is significant,” stated Ali Borowsky, Founder, CEO Find Your Anchor. “Guided by the talented Talon team, OOH has proven to be a powerful and highly effective channel to drive awareness and responses to our message.”

“Suicide is a serious public health problem, and it was an honor to join forces with Born This Way Foundation, Find Your Anchor, and the Ali Forney Center to directly address the matter,” said Jacqlyn Roberts, Talon America Client Manager. “We’re happy to do our part in disseminating life-saving public service communications that drive online engagement and increase pledges, possibly helping individuals through these trying and uncertain times.”

Throughout 2020 and into 2021, OOH has been an indispensable medium, lending its platform in a myriad of ways to thank essential workers for their tireless efforts and bring critical COVID-19 safety and vaccination messaging to the American public. The industry continues to leverage its extensive networks and formats to effectively target relevant audiences and extend the reach of impactful messages.

The Please Stay campaign was also featured in CampaignUS: Talon America elevated the Please Stay Pledge’s impact with targeted OOH media placements.