Local ad shop tackles tough social issue

Charlotte Business Journal - by Rich Thomaselli Staff writer

Mecklenburg County’s Area Mental Health Authority will start an advertising campaign next week geared toward preventing teen suicides.

The campaign, from Charlotte agency Ritz Marketing Inc., features stark, powerful print ads to be placed at malls, movie theaters and schools; radio spots; and a presence on Facebook, the online networking site popular with teen-agers.

There will also be two digital billboards on interstates 77 and 85.

The impetus for the campaign came from the results of the most recent youth behavior risk study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The survey found that, nationwide, almost 9% of teens between the ages of 14 and 18 have attempted suicide. In Charlotte, the figure was put at 12.5%.

“We’re trying to raise awareness, get kids to reach out for help, and to get peers to notice the signs of teen suicide,” says Jill Scott, spokeswoman for Area Mental Health Authority.

Although the county has a limited, undisclosed advertising budget, the campaign was made possible by a federal grant and the efforts of Kathleen Ritz, a partner at the ad agency.

For the print part of the campaign, photographer Lon Murdick and makeup artist Lee Taylor worked pro bono for the day-long photo shoot. Greensboro-based talent agency Directions USA also cut its normal rate for models. The shoot was done at the home of Ritz Marketing partner Mike Pinckney.

Yet in the end, Ritz says some of the better images — featuring tight, close-up head shots — came from everyday teen-agers, not the models.

“We wanted a broad spectrum of races for this project, so we ended up calling in some favors,” she says. “Most of the kids were children of friends, children of friends of friends.”

The campaign falls under the purview of MeckCares, a program for local child-oriented agencies, families and the community. Its purpose is to improve outcomes for youths with severe emotional problems.

Danny Diehl, Mecklenburg County public information director, put MeckCares and Ritz Marketing together for the campaign. Diehl had been using Ritz for other county campaigns for the last year.