Victoria Police wins Mumbrella Bravery award and 2 Gold EFFIE awards.
Written by Pat Baron.
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Senior Constable Laurie Fox took his own life on New Year's Eve, 2012.
It is a sad and unacceptable truth that police officers are significantly more likely to experience suicidal thoughts and behaviours than the general public. Between 2012 and 2019, more than 20 Victoria Police officers have died by suicide.
A highly sensitive issue and subject matter, the strategic, creative and production process was extremely complex.
We interviewed current and ex Victoria Police officers and mental health experts to ensure that we properly understood the issues. At every stage, we worked closely with Victoria Police’s mental health team, and Laurie’s family were consulted throughout the production process.
In a film that spoke to the world from beyond the grave, we brought him back, with Deep Fake Technology, to share a message you couldn’t possibly ignore. Sent directly to every Officer in Victoria Police, Laurie’s peer-to-peer message would encourage officers to seek anonymous support from trained counsellors at the newly launched Bluespace website.
The film was recently awarded 3 Effie awards, including 2 Gold Effie awards. And Gold at AWARD - The Australasian Writers and Art Directors Association - the single most important regional awards show in Australia and New Zealand.
Without the courage and commitment of his widow Belinda, who was determined to cement Laurie’s legacy and prevent further tragedies, our campaign and its resulting message would not have been possible.
It is fitting the Mumbrella Award for Courage has also been awarded to Laurie’s legacy.
Our aim, was to break down the barriers that prevent officers from talking about mental health issues, encouraging them to take action and normalise the process of asking for help. Our biggest challenge was a culture as old as the organisation itself – 168 years old. A culture that shut down the issue of suicide. A culture that in every action it took, reinforced the idea that suicide ideation was a sign of weakness.
The story was picked up by multiple media platforms including a 2-minute feature story on national news Channel 9, The Age and Sydney Morning Herald and national radio network Light FM.
It ultimately received a media reach of over 52m and was shared internally by the UK Metropolitan Police, NYPD and NZ and Canadian Police on their social platforms. The unprecedented approach to tackling the sensitive subject matter was embraced locally and globally.
Again, I would like to acknowledge the bravery of Laurie's family who opened themselves up throughout the process, so the impact was as effectual and authentic as possible.
