Campaign from M+C Saatchi Group UK encourages people living with anxiety-related conditions to recognise the value of small steps forward and increase awareness and use of NHS Talking Therapies services.
NHS England has launched ‘Talking Therapies’, a new UK-wide campaign created by M+C Saatchi Group UK, designed to increase awareness and use of NHS Talking Therapies services among people who may be living with anxiety conditions but have been quietly putting up with their symptoms.
The campaign supports the NHS’s long-term ambition to improve access to mental health services and patient outcomes, helping ensure that more people of all ages receive the treatment they need. It focuses on increasing awareness, knowledge and intention to use NHS Talking Therapies, particularly among people experiencing phobias, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and body dysmorphic disorder (BDD).
Targeted at 30 to 50-year-olds who may recognise that they experience life differently but have not previously sought support, the work aims to encourage people to reappraise symptoms they may have normalised or felt reluctant to act on. The campaign reinforces that treatment is available, and that taking steps to access it can make a meaningful difference to day-to-day life.
At the heart of the creative idea is a simple but powerful truth: for someone living with these conditions, returning to everyday activities they once managed with ease can be genuinely worth celebrating. What may appear minor to others can represent a significant personal achievement.
The campaign brings this idea to life through subtle but joyful celebration cues, including balloons, confetti and even a single firework. These understated visual moments reflect the internal sense of progress felt by the protagonists, marking small but meaningful steps forward without overstating or dramatising them.
Tonally, the work is sensitive, respectful and empathetic, speaking directly to people with lived experience of these conditions. The celebrations are intentionally modest, mirroring the reality that progress is often gradual, personal and hard-won.
A 30-second hero film, directed by Max Fisher at Rogue Films, is supported by 15-second AV cutdowns, two 30-second radio ads, online video and social content. Each execution reinforces both the accessibility of NHS Talking Therapies services and the idea that every step forward, no matter how small, deserves recognition.
The creative process was informed by close collaboration with people with lived experience of the featured conditions. One of the hero cast members is themselves a sufferer of one of the conditions portrayed, helping shape the authenticity of the performances through subtle details such as pacing, body language and hesitation.
The campaign is running across video-on-demand, online video, social and radio in the UK. Media planning is handled by Wavemaker, with media buying by MGOMD.
Phil Bastable, deputy director and head of marketing and social media team at NHS England, said, “NHS Talking Therapies can help people move past difficulties that are affecting their everyday lives. This campaign is about helping people recognise that effective treatment is available, and that taking even a small step towards it can be a meaningful and positive change.”
Tom Firth, Group Chief Client Officer at M+C Saatchi Group UK, added, “Cultural Power comes from understanding how people really live, day to day. This campaign recognises that progress doesn’t always look dramatic, but it matters deeply to the people experiencing it. By reflecting that truth with empathy and respect, the work helps NHS Talking Therapies feel relevant, human and genuinely supportive.”
Guy Bradbury, Creative Partner at M+C Saatchi Group UK, concluded, “If you’re living with an anxiety condition, doing something you once found easy can feel huge. We didn’t want to overplay it. Just capture the moment as it is — quiet, real, and absolutely worth celebrating.”
