In the spotlight:

"Drawing out the silence"

2025 Bronze Effie Winner

Effie is about awarding ideas that work, educating about effective marketing and showcasing the best work to enhance learning in our industry.

CAMPAIGN NAME

Drawing out the silence

CATEGORY

Positive Change: Social Good - Non-Profit

CLIENT

Psykiatrifonden

LEAD AGENCY

Uncle Grey

CONTRIBUTING AGENCY

Media Investment

CAMPAIGN DESCRIPTION

Drawing Out the Silence transformed children’s unspoken thoughts and feelings into powerful works of art displayed at ARoS, sparking awareness and meaningful action.

By giving children a voice through their drawings, the campaign generated a 16-fold increase in families actively seeking help and earned over €535,000 in organic media coverage.

Its impact extended beyond awareness, bringing the issue into political negotiations and paving the way for lasting change.

THE CHALLENGE

In Denmark, approximately 310,000 children grow up with a parent living with mental illness, yet 70% receive no support. Despite parents’ intentions to protect their children, stigma, shame and fear often prevent open conversations at home, leaving children feeling anxious, isolated and unheard.

The challenge was to break this silence and encourage families to seek help. With a limited budget, the campaign needed to reach three key audiences: parents, who could initiate conversations at home; professionals, such as teachers and healthcare workers, who could recognise signs of distress and offer support; and the media and policymakers, who could bring the issue into the national spotlight and drive lasting change.

STRATEGIC APPROACH AND EXECUTION

“Drawing Out the Silence” put children’s voices at the heart of the campaign, using their own drawings and stories to make the emotional impact of parental mental illness impossible to ignore.

The campaign launched at ARoS Art Museum in Aarhus, where eight children’s personal stories were transformed into an art exhibition, accompanied by audio narrations. The exhibition served as a catalyst for a nationwide digital campaign, bringing the drawings to life through animated videos, authentic quotes and social media content on Facebook and Instagram.

Combining PR, paid and organic social media, the campaign reached families, professionals and decision-makers. All communication directed audiences to sporgmere.dk, where practical advice and conversation tools helped turn awareness and empathy into meaningful action.

Clear evidence of success:

16-fold increase in families actively seeking help.
Widespread national visibility across TV, radio and leading media outlets.
Over DKK 4 million in organic media coverage.
Political impact: A party spokesperson committed to raising the issue in political negotiations.
Potential for lasting change through increased awareness and political engagement.

RESULTS

16-fold increase in website traffic: Daily unique visits rose from 150 to 2,500.
788,408 Danes reached: Exceeded the campaign's reach target by over 57%.
40,713 clicks to the advice platform: Surpassed the target by more than 16%.
5-second average video playtime: 67% above target and more than double the industry benchmark.
Over €535,000 in earned media value: Extensive editorial coverage, alongside a public political commitment to action.

WHY A BRONZE EFFIE? Here's what the jurors said.

"The strongest element is the use of the children's own drawings as the creative medium. This act of "drawing out the silence" and making the invisible impossible to ignore is what makes the case so powerful and effective."

"Authentic and compassionate storytelling, powerful emotional resonance, and impressive national awareness generated from limited resources. The integration of museum art, PR, and digital channels was well-executed and credible."

"It is logical, pedagogical, well-developed, and very well-written. Strong insight. The creative idea has been seen a few times before but is used here in a very relevant way. A strong fit for the category."

"A creative and engaging way to draw attention to an important and difficult topic. Great results show that it worked very well."

"The context is well-established, highlighting a difficult and often hidden issue — a challenging topic around which to capture attention.

A deep understanding of audience insights led to a strong idea with well-crafted, thoughtful execution.

The results go far beyond high awareness, demonstrating true effectiveness in action — with daily website traffic rising from 150 to 2,500 visits among an audience that is difficult to reach due to stigmatization and fear. The campaign even reached the level of government attention."

Check out the full Case Study!