Youth mental health organisation ReachOut has partnered with Doritos to encourage young people to share a pack and have a judgement-free conversation about how they’re feeling.
Doritos has changed its packaging across its entire range to feature a “Be Bold. Reach Out” message.
The new packs feature a QR code on the pack which, once scanned, opens ReachOut’s Checking In With Yourself Quiz that has been designed to help young people track how they’re feeling and provide steps to take if they feel like they need some additional advice or support.
The camaign comes at a time when mental illness is at an all-time high – a whopping 72 per cent of Australians have felt emotionally or mentally down in the last year.
Are you really fine?
New research has found that when asked how they are feeling, 68 per cent of young people deflect the question or commonly respond with “I’m fine”.
In fact, 3 in 5 young Aussies use phrases like “I’m fine,” “I’m good” or “I’m okay” up to 10 times a week, 40 times a month and 520 times a year.
Making time to recognise and acknowledge your feelings can be a great way for young people in Australia to keep on top of their mental health, says ReachOut.
Asking a simple question like “how am I feeling on a scale of 1 to 10” can help to identify whether they need to take some time out, practise some self-care or seek some support.
Ashley de Silva, CEO of ReachOut, says that finding practical strategies to prevent “everyday” issues from becoming bigger can be really beneficial.
“Being able to check in with yourself and openly acknowledge that you might be having a ‘tough day’ is such a big and important step in all of our mental health journeys,” he said.
Conversation and connection
After a challenging few years for young people in Australia, conversation and connection is so important, says Mr de Silva.
“We are proud to be partnering with a brand like Doritos to increase youth mental health awareness and encourage people to check in with themselves and each other,” he says.
Vandita Pandey, CMO at PepsiCo hopes the partnership will raise more awareness of ReachOut and the “incredible” online mental health service that it offers anyone 24/7.
“This initiative directs people to this amazing network and reminds them to check in via approximately 13 million packs in market over the next three months,” she said.