Centre for Addiction and Mental Health breaks awareness campaign
By Adnews Staff
The Toronto-based Centre for Addiction and Mental Health has begun a new awareness campaign incorporating advertising, online activities and public relations. The campaign is in support of the centre's redevelopment program, which will seek to renovate the organization's Queen St. hospital into an "urban village of care" for patients with mental illness and addiction issues. The campaign, developed by Zig, depicts the hospital as "Toronto's most life changing address." The creative is designed to resemble ads for condominiums and real estate. The initiative began this week with teaser out-of-home and radio advertising, as well as the launch of a website at <http://www.transforminglives.ca>. The site, constructed by Henderson Bas, also follows the style common to condo development websites. In addition, a condo-style "model suite" has been installed on the grounds of the centre. On April 6, to coincide with a groundbreaking event at the site, the full campaign will begin. It will include public relations as well as radio, newspaper, out-of-home and online advertising. The initiative will run until the end of May. "It is unprecedented for an addiction and mental health facility to be leading the revitalization of 27 acres, or nine blocks in the downtown core of Canada's largest city," said Darrell Gregersen, president and CEO of the CAMH Foundation. "The campaign approach is a metaphor for the transformation of an old institution into a modern healing community with through streets, retailers, and residences all seamlessly woven together, where CAMH becomes a destination for people to enjoy a coffee as much as it is for people to receive treatment. We want as many people as possible to understand and become involved with this truly world-leading and life-changing work."