Maybelline New York is normalising the conversation around youth mental health. The cosmetics giant has united with ReachOut to spotlight mental health by launching Brave Together.
Today, youth mental health is a global crisis severely impacting the lives of young people in Australia. Currently, one in four people aged 14–25 live with a mental health difficulty and 70 percent of those aren’t getting the support they need. Tragically, suicide remains the leading cause of death for Australian youths aged 14–25.
As more young people in Australia engage in the mental health conversation, the necessity for change has never been more prominent. The Brave Together platform seeks to provide awareness and is committing to supporting young people in Australia experiencing mental health challenges, with a global pledge of raising $10 million and supporting one million conversations in a five year period.
ReachOut research validates the necessity for young people to have access to a safe platform, with 50 percent of young people turning to the internet for help when experiencing a tough time.
When the nation was dealt horrific summer bushfires and a global pandemic in 2019/20, more than 2.9 million people visited ReachOut.com. The pandemic continued to drive demand for mental health services and for ReachOut, Australia’s most accessed digital mental health service for young people and their parents – a record 3.6 million people turned to the site for support in 2020.
Maybelline New York Marketing Director Alexandra Shadbolt, said “As the largest cosmetic brand both globally and in Australia, we uphold a responsibility to support the youth of today. Mental health is unfortunately an incredibly taboo topic and through our Brave Together platform, Maybelline New York seeks to normalise the conversation around mental illness and encourage people across Australia of all ages to speak out and seek support.”
“We are incredibly proud to partner with ReachOut – a trusted organisation in Australia that has accumulated over 21 years’ experience in supporting the mental health of young people in Australia. Our brand is committed to working with the ReachOut team to ensure those who are impacted by mental health challenges are aware of the range of invaluable tools and resources at their disposal, including its peer support services,” said Shadbolt.
The Brave Together platform will be launched alongside a suite of brand ambassadors who are committed to championing change, including Australian Media Personality, Youth Worker and Mental Health Advocate Brooke Blurton, Content Creator and LGBTQI+ advocate AJ Clementine, Racial Equality Make-up Artist Dom Skii and Social Personality and mother-of-four Olivia Anderson.
Tracey Campbell, Director of Marketing and Fundraising at ReachOut , said, “The mental health challenges young people are facing today are complex and many of these issues have been exacerbated by the global pandemic. We know that young people in rural and remote areas are particularly impacted due to factors such as lack of access to support services and natural disasters.”
“We are excited to be partnering with Maybelline New York. This partnership will help reach even more young people and their parents to ensure they have access to effective mental health support when and where they need it. ” she said.
Maybelline New York is setting out to use its prominence within the industry to help destigmatise the topic of mental illness and increase awareness about the mental health support available in Australia.
For more information on the Brave Together platform and to view the support tools available visit https://www.maybelline.com.au/bravetogether.
