It’s easy to pass off celebrity deaths as drug problems. Money and fame often provide access to, perhaps even promote, excess, partying, alcohol and a lot of drugs.
US non-profit, the harris project, wants people to understand that substance abuse also goes hand-in-hand with mental health challenges. 1 in 2 people with substance use issues also struggle with mental health challenges, it says. So through Havas New York and with entertainment and news magazine, US Weekly, the partners have made a special edition featuring Matthew Perry, Liam Payne, Juice WRLD, Mac Miller, Aaron Carter, Demi Lovato, Cooper Noriega, Avicii, Amy Winehouse, and more. The issue retells the stories that US Weekly has published, adding in what wasn’t revealed before – these celebrities’ mental health challenges.
These new narratives provided deeper context and insights from experts, helping link substance use issues and mental health challenges, which are often treated separately.
the harris project is the only national non-profit in the US dedicated to co-occurring disorders, that is the simultaneous presence of mental health conditions alongside substance use issues, which affects over 21 million Americans.
The new work, The Missing Issue is part of the non-profit’s You Don’t Know the Half of It campaign.
It aims to educate, provide a better understanding of addiction and create compassionate and systemic reform for better outcomes. The full campaign includes the special US Weekly issue and launch film, supported by OOH in New York and Los Angeles and social content.
The harris project was founded by Stephanie Marquesano after she lost her son, Harris Blake Marquesano, through an accidental overdose at age 19. Harris struggled with several mental health disorders. The non-profit is dedicated to prevention, treatment and recovery, together with system transformation to help those with, or at risk of developing, co-occurring disorders.
Credits:
Clients: US Weekly & The harris project
Creative Agency: Havas New York
Chief Executive Officer: Sarah Collinson
Chief Creative Officer: Dan Lucey
Group Creative Directors: Tyronne Schaffer & Vidhi Shah
Creative Director: Lindsey Rock
Associate Creative Directors: Seb Thomas & Nick Lindo
Copywriter: Caroline Seibel
Art Directors: Camille Walker & Hamza Ali
Head of Design: Nazly Kim
Designer: Liberty Leben
Chief Strategy Officer: Justine Feron
Chief Production Officer: Melissa Tifrere
Executive Producer: Josh Kornrich
Project Director: Liz Leiser
Strategy Director: Colleen Hartnett
Content Producer: Shoaib Ali
Business Affairs Manager: Suzanne Voss
Communications Director: Jess Sheehan
Editing: Final Cut US
Editor: Spencer Campbell
Executive Producer: Sarah Roebuck
Producer:Jen Tremaglio
Edit Assistant: Jackie Tullie
Music & Sound: Duotone Audio
Creative Director: Peter Nashel
Executive Producer: Ross Hopman
Music Producer: Giovonni Lobato
Licensing: Dana Hom
Arranger: Jordan Lieb
Executive Producer: Greg Tiefenbrun
Sound Designer: Andrew Green
Sound Producer: Lou Baron
PR: Havas Formula
