The Best Work You May Never See: CALM, adam&eveDDB Launch "The Last Photo" Suicide Prevention Initiative

“The Last Photo,” the Campaign Against Living Miserably’s (CALM) largest initiative ever, tackles the heart-breaking reality that suicidal doesn’t always look suicidal.

After two years of lockdowns and entering an unprecedented cost of living crisis, the U.K.’s CALM felt it was time to make suicide prevention a priority again, to make the conversation inescapable, ensure action, and prevent suicide. 

Hence creative agency adam&eveDDB, London, developed this campaign, which includes a huge installation of 50 smiling portraits that’s just been unveiled on London’s South Bank. 

The installation is also supported by this 90-second CALM PSA.
 
Directed by Max Fisher, the film shows a sequence of real home videos of apparently happy people enjoying life--singing to infant children, messing about with mates, and enjoying a day out at the seaside. Towards the end of the spot, titles reveal all are the last videos of people who later died by suicide.

The initiative aims to address the stigma often associated with suicide, with people assuming they know what it looks like--reclusiveness, crying, silence--and if they don’t see such traits in someone, they hesitate to intervene. Yet in reality, suicidal behavior takes many forms. Often people can seem happy just moments before taking their own lives.

The hero film was produced by cain&abelDDB, adam&eveDDB’s in-house creative production partner.

Simon Gunning, CEO of CALM, said, “Behind every smile is a tragic story of loss and despair that touches family, friends and communities. We like to thank all the families that contributed to the campaign for their strength and courage in stepping forward and sharing these powerful stories. There has long been a stereotype and stigma surrounding suicide that has held people back from opening up and talking about their feelings, and seeking help when it’s needed.”