Reprise and AIA encourage Malaysians to see the other side of mental health conditions

Reprise Digital has developed a campaign with leading insurer AIA Malaysia in conjunction with Mental Health Awareness month this October.

See the other side launched as an extension of AIA’s brand promise to help Malaysians live Healthier, Longer, Better Lives. The campaign aims encourages the public to pledge their support to raise mental health awareness and promote conversations on mental wellbeing, with the intention of breaking the stigma surrounding the topic. For each pledge received, AIA will donate RM10 to the Malaysian Mental Health Association (MMHA), which provides residential and psychiatric rehabilitation, and mental health support to the public.

The campaign was launched with videos from influencers Yasmin Hani and Kuah Jenhan who spoke about their personal mental health struggles. Alongside them, the journey of other sufferers of depression, postpartum depression and bipolar disorder were highlighted.

Stanley Clement, Managing Director of Reprise Malaysia said, “This campaign is one that is very close to my heart as my wife suffered from postpartum depression after the birth of our son. Mental health awareness in Malaysia is still relatively low, and AIA sparking these conversations will hopefully lead to it being destigmatised in the future.”

The National Health and Morbidity Survey, conducted by the Malaysian Ministry of Health (MOH), indicates that 3 in 10 Malaysians aged 16 years and over have a mental health condition. By 2020, mental illness is expected to be the second biggest health problem affecting Malaysians after heart disease.

Heng Zee Wang, Chief Marketing Officer of AIA Bhd. said, “Mental health continues to be a topic that is difficult to talk about in the open. Creating on-going education and conversations around it is so important and a step in the right direction to help reduce the stigma in our society over time. Through the #AIASeeTheOtherSide initiative, we hope to do our part in bringing mental health issues to light. We are grateful for the brave support of the individuals who have shared their experiences. This is just the beginning of AIA’s long-term commitment to building further awareness on mental health, and supporting Malaysians to live Healthier, Longer, Better Lives.”

The digital campaign via the microsite and social channels also saw the AIA logo change to green for the week. The green ribbon and colour is synonymous with mental health awareness, representing hope, strength, support and encouragement for those living with these conditions.

The microsite will remain a permanent fixture on the AIA website to act as a resource centre, with content related to mental health, as well as a list of associations and NGOs for individuals who seek professional help.

A content partnership with local NGO Mindakami also launched to allow access to a mixed language podcast titled ‘The Borak Minda Podcast’ published on Spotify. Access ‘The Borak Minda Podcast’ by Mindakami here.

Stanley added, “Since the launch of this campaign, we have received an outpouring of support from friends and families of the contributors, with even strangers, commending their bravery to speak out about their personal mental health struggles. It is our collective wish with AIA to grow these conversations to show that nobody is immune, but together, we can help fight the stigma and open up avenues for help.”