Monday 26 November 2018

• Year-long 'Be the mate you'd want' campaign launches just after 9pm tonight on Dave.

• Comedian James Acaster to voice ad break takeover to kick off campaign.

• Research reveals just over 1 in 3 men wouldn't know what to do to help a friend having a tough time.

UKTV's comedy channel, Dave, is taking over a commercial ad break and will use the time to launch a year-long partnership with the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM), a leading movement against suicide, which remains the single biggest killer of men under the age of 45 in the UK.

At 9.09pm on Monday 26 November, a time that would usually be dedicated to adverts and TV trailers, Dave will encourage viewers to get in touch with a mate to see how they are. The four minute ad takeover is made by UKTV's in house creative team and will be voiced by James Acaster, the comedian most recently seen in the record-breaking seventh series of Dave's Taskmaster.

The year-long 'Be the mate you'd want' campaign kicks off with on air promos on Dave's airtime, print and out of home ads, radio ads across the Global Radio network, social media, branded beer mats and coffee cups. Next year, there will be a podcast, a commissioned comedy, and much more. All to encourage and support male friendship as part of a shared ambition between CALM and UKTV to tackle male depression and suicide.

The campaign comes following recent research commissioned by Dave and CALM of 2,300 men and women in the UK which revealed that, while 86% of men agree that they would want to help a friend, 35% wouldn't know what to do to help a friend having a tough time. The survey also revealed a male/female disparity when it came to noticing the warning signs: 41% of men find it difficult to recognise when their friend is having a tough time, compared to 26% of women. This disparity informs the campaign's focus on encouraging men to reach out to their friends. The campaign also promotes the power of small gestures to improve mental health: when going through a tough time, 38% of men said they would appreciate friends sending them a message, 48% would appreciate friends making them laugh, and 41% would appreciate a friend suggesting they go for a drink.

By encouraging men to reach out to their friends, Dave is supporting CALM's mission to create a more positive and open culture when it comes to mental health.

The campaign centres around the idea that small gestures from a friend can be a lifeline for someone who is going through a tough time. The creative ads will encourage people to do something to show a mate that they're there for them.

The marketing materials have been produced in-house by UKTV Creative and the dialogue and copy has been crafted by Dave's Senior Social Editor, CALM ambassador, and mental health author, Aaron Gillies.

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Luke Hales, Dave's Channel Director said:

Dave reaches more than 19 million people a month and on average, over 60% of our viewers are men. Research has highlighted that millions of men experience loneliness, but suffer in silence. This campaign is our small gesture for anyone who may be going through a tough time. We hope it will encourage people to reach out to friends who need a reminder that someone is thinking of them and someone cares.

Cherie Cunningham, Head of Marketing at UKTV said:

Dave and CALM will use the power of Dave's brand and tone of voice to launch a campaign that brings to life the strength of friendship, highlighting how small acts of kindness between friends can be powerful. The campaign highlights the best qualities of friendship, the nuances that make real friends and how easy it can be to check in with a mate who may be going through a tough time. Our call to action is simple: All it takes is a text, a chat, a tweet - something to show you're there.

Simon Gunning, CEO of CALM added:

Suicide is a problem that affects everyone, so CALM aims to work with the whole of society on campaigns that change culture and encourage help-seeking behaviour. Dave and CALM's 'Be the mate you'd want' campaign will help to promote a positive, proactive and empathetic approach when it comes to mental health. One of the fundamental issues is that, when men are finding things tough or struggling with their mental health, they still face social stigma, so we hope the campaign will create a positive environment where men can feel comfortable opening up to and supporting their mates.

#Bethemateyoudwant

Dave.uktv.co.uk/CALM

All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2300 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 16th - 19th November 2018. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+).

Credits

Creative Agency: UKTV Creative
Creative Director: Scott Russell
Creative Manager, Dave: Paul Philpott
Senior Producer: Celia Bayne
Campaign Producer: Holly McIvor
Design Director: Peter Allinson
Design Producer: Sophie Yeoman
Motion Design: Jade Dauncey
Key Art Design: Dani Liquieri
Senior Social Manager: Aaron Gillies
Head of Marketing, Dave: Cherie Cunningham
Assistant Brand Manager, Dave: Zena Jarjis

For more information, please contact:

Justine Bower (Director of Communications, UKTV) - justine.bower@uktv.co.uk
Ali Laurie (Network Communications Executive, UKTV) - ali.laurie@uktv.co.uk
Neil Wood (CALM) - press@thecalmzone.net
Tim LeBreton (W Comms) - tim.lebreton@wcommunications.co.uk

About Dave

Sky 111/246, Virgin 127/194, Freesat 157 Freeview, BT & TalkTalk 12/79
On demand on Sky, Virgin and UKTV Play

Since bursting onto TV sets in 2007, Dave has been putting in hours at the gym and is now a beefed-up powerhouse of brand new and original commissions from some of the biggest stars and production companies in entertainment. Romesh Ranganthan, Jon Richardson and YouTube sensation Yianni Charalambous are just some of the latest additions to the channel's ever-increasing slate.

Whether it's innovative comedy entertainment like the BAFTA and Emmy-nominated Taskmaster, Unspun with Matt Forde, and Dara o Briain's Go 8 Bit or scripted sitcoms including the worldwide hit Red Dwarf, Zapped, and Porters, Dave's guaranteed to work your funny bone like never before.

There's also Red Bull Soapbox, Cop Car Workshop, Sin City Motors and a whole host of much loved programming, all shot with Dave's unique personality that's led to the channel reaching over 19 million viewers a month.

About CALM

The Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) is leading a movement against suicide, the single biggest killer of men under the age of 45 in the UK. In 2016, 76% of all suicides in the UK were male (ONS). Only 55% of men who've experienced depression will tell anyone about it, compared to 67% of women (CALM's Masculinity Audit 2016).

CALM's free, confidential and anonymous helpline & webchat are open every day, 5pm-midnight.: thecalmzone.net/get-help

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