Talon and Media Partners Support “Please Stay” Mental Wellness Campaign from Born This Way Foundation, The Ali Forney Center and Find Your Anchor

A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study conducted in the summer of 2020 uncovered that 41% of Americans experienced a mental or behavioral health condition, including symptoms of anxiety or depression, as a result of stressors like social isolation, absence of school structure, unemployment, and financial worries during the pandemic.

These, and other harrowing stats prompted Born This Way Foundation, Lady Gaga’s nonprofit mental-wellness organization; Find Your Anchor, a grassroots suicide prevention, awareness, and education initiative; and the Ali Forney Center, a nonprofit that provides housing and supportive services to LGBTQIA+ homeless youth, to launch the Please Stay Pledge – a suicide prevention project. Please Stay is a vow to stay alive and via its dedicated website, individuals can make the pledge and tap numerous resources, including suicide prevention hotlines, self-care tips, and recommendations for “soul-filling acts.”

Talon America supported the pro-bono out-of-home (OOH) public service announcement (PSA), working in collaboration with media owners, Clear Channel Outdoor, Lamar Advertising, OUTFRONT Media, Pivot Media Ventures, Intersection Co., and New Tradition. The Please Stay initiative was featured on a variety of digital formats across the U.S., including bulletins, kiosks, and boat signage. The campaign creative, featuring powerful messages like “This is the sign you’ve been looking for.” and “We need you here,” was specifically designed to interrupt suicide and encourage those contemplating self-harm to seek help.

“We’re so proud to have collaborated with these organizations and media owners in support of a worthy cause,” said Jacqlyn Roberts, Talon America Client Manager. “Spreading awareness of the Please Stay initiative and its important messaging provided a special opportunity to play a role in prevention and support.”

194 million impressions

The OOH campaign, which launched on May 17 across 21 states, generated a total of 194 million impressions, a media value of over $1.8 million, and will extend through July 25 on digital kiosks in Washington D.C.’s Union Station.