NHS places mental health adverts in Football Manager 2018
We are Leeds!
When we think of in-game advertising, the first thing that springs to mind is seeing logos for big brands in video games. Adverts for the likes of Coca-Cola, Nike and McDonalds.
What most don't expect to see in their video game is an advert for the NHS.
But that's exactly what Football Manager 2018 players - in Leeds, specifically - are currently seeing after the NHS placed in-game pitch-side hoardings promoting mental health.
If you're in Leeds and you play Football Manager 2018, you'll see pitch-side hoardings promoting MindMate, a website run by the NHS Leeds Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG). It looks like this:
If you click on the adverts, you're taken through to the website for more information and support. CCG hopes to tap into the huge audience connected to Football Manager to target young people about mental health, with the adverts geotargeted to concentrate on the Leeds area.
The campaign is live now and ends around the 13th of May.
If you are having difficulty with your mental health, please don't carry on in silence.
In the UK:
You can call the Rethink advice and information service on 0300 5000 927 (10am-1pm).
Also the Depression Alliance, a charity, has a network of self-help groups.
Samaritans offers a 24-hour confidential helpline: 116 123
In Australia:
You can contact the BeyondBlue support service in 1300 22 4636
In the US:
You can call the Crisis Call Center on 1-800-273-8255 at any time of the day.
If you're more comfortable talking via text than on the phone, 7cupsoftea.com offers an anonymous chat service.