Mental Health Awareness Week 2026: Turning Awareness Into Action

Mental Health Awareness Week is the Mental Health Foundation's flagship campaign. A 25-year-old national event and one of the biggest mental health awareness campaigns in the world. The 2026 theme was about taking Action. Not just raising awareness, but helping people take real steps for their own and others' mental health.

The brief was demanding. A genuinely multi-objective campaign serving seven goals in parallel, from brand awareness and gated downloads, to workplace and corporate sign-ups, to regular donor acquisition. All from one coordinated media plan, on a smaller budget than the previous year.

The results? Measurable campaign results rose 110% YoY from 33% less spend. The gated pack downloads grew 232%, while its cost per acquisition fell 76% and cost per donation more than halved.

Crucially, the campaign drove genuine action. Post-event surveys showed a 14% rise in organisations actively fundraising at their events, and supporter-organised event attendance grew 17%, with over record numbers of people taking part across the country.

Through one cohesive, full-funnel campaign and relentless mid-flight optimisation, we turned a smaller budget into a record-breaking year.