Pablo & MQ swear to take on young mental illness

MQ are a new charity, one with a new approach to a very old problem.

Mental illness. It’s an issue that affects all ages, all lives. But MQ are the next step in the story, beyond just awareness and social understanding. Through science and research they are going to take it on, tackle it at its very start when it first arises in young people, allowing them to reach their full potential and avoid a lifetime of mental health issues.

When faced with the startling fact that three children in every UK classroom are affected by mental illness it’s impossible not to feel shocked, angry, wanting to swear in frustration that this is the true scale of the problem.

And it’s this need to convert people’s frustration into real action that breathed life into our campaign. We aimed to show that mental illness is an issue that can be addressed in potent and transformative ways, using science and research to better understand, treat and ultimately prevent it. This contradicts a widely held public opinion that mental illness is an immutable fact of life about which nothing can be done.

Mental illness in young people. WE SWEAR TO TAKE IT ON IF YOU SWEAR TO HELP.

MQ know that pioneering new research can make an actual difference in tackling mental illness in the young but together we recognised that this will take everyone’s to work collectively as one movement, to swear to make a real difference. It was just left for us to swear to create a campaign worthy of the cause, a challenge we passionalty accepted. 

In association with Channel 4 an exclusive premiere heralded MQ’s intent to the world in a thought provoking, cinematic story, voiced by Anna Friel, one that beautifully illustrates the power of science and the collective will of society throughout history to challenges the doubters and to prove that the impossible can be made possible, however daunting the task.

It’s strength and tone signals a landmark moment in challenging our perceptions on mental illness, from simple awareness and understanding to one of striving to find new innovative solutions to the problem.

This compelling introduction to MQ and its mission is complimented by a hard hitting VOD campaign, one that see’s the startling facts of mental illness in the young bring to a halt a swearing in ceremony in graphic fashion when people are faced with the scale of the problem, a ceremony that reaches out to then ask the viewer to swear to help.

A host of illustrious actors, Olympic athletes, presenters and social media celebrities have also added their voices to those of MQ to create an iconic outdoor, press and online campaign, each swearing with passion and conviction to take on mental in the young if you swear to help. Gillian Anderson, Mel C, Julia Bradbury and Nicola Adams are just a few whose raw and impassioned images demand everyone’s attention is drawn to MQ’s mission.

All around Britain, people will get the chance to make a real difference to young peoples mental health, with MQ swear jars big and small in major companies and organizations.

But we recognise that people don’t want to just donate, they want to actively get involved. Our  MQ ‘Dare to Swear’ allows real participation in playful challenges as people swear to take these on and dare others to get involved. All of these initiatives will give people the chance to donate and invest their collective energies to help MQ take on mental illness in our young.

Take a look at the work here.