Ministry of Health :: Like Minds, Like Mine
To watch the Like Minds, Like Mine TV ad, you need Flash. You can get it right here and we’ll be waiting for you when you return.
Still not sure? Over 95% of Internet users in New Zealand have Flash. It’s really very useful for watching great clips. Like this Mitre 10 ‘DIY is in our DNA’ TV ad, which has become an iconic kiwi ad. The brilliant performances from the little kids are 100% real.
Why Change?
1 in 5 of us will experience mental illness in our lifetime. Despite this, the NZ attitude has been one of denial, disinterest or downright discrimination. This had become woven into the fabric of our society's thinking through language, comedy, entertainment media and everyday behaviour.
What Changed?
Our challenge was considerable: to reduce the stigma and discrimination against people with mental illness, in a society with ingrained beliefs and diverse ethnic groups. Common ground was the secret to success: using famous and everyday spokespeople and messages that New Zealanders from all backgrounds could relate to in order to 'normalise' mental illness.
The results of this campaign are outstanding. It has resulted in significant improvements in awareness, attitude, understanding and acceptance of people with mental illness over its six years and has generated one of the most remarkable attitude changes to any social issue in New Zealand's history.
The Like Minds campaign has been recognised locally and internationally, most recently being awarded the Grand Effie and Gold in the Sustained Success category at the 2008 EFFIE Awards.