Putting a musical spin on Skipton’s thought-provoking mental health campaign

The ask:

Skipton International challenged us to create a campaign to uplift Channel Islanders during the harsh winter months and foster a sense of community spirit. Having run campaigns run for the last three Januarys using motivational signs and employees volunteering within the community, it was time for a new approach to position the brand as a wellbeing champion, signposting to mental health resources.

The result:

Harnessing the positive power of music, we devised a campaign centred on having local choirs entertain islanders over their lunch breaks in Guernsey and Jersey.

We engaged influencer James B Partridge, a TikTok singing sensation known for his ‘Primary School Bangers’. James, who is passionate about singing and its effect on mental health, drove awareness of the campaign by sharing social media videos promoting the event in the lead-up.

To ensure real impact and the correct signposting to local expertise we partnered with local mental health charities in each island. In Guernsey, Talking Benches, an organisation founded by three women who had lost their sons to suicide, and Kezia’s Fund in Jersey, a mental health charity established in memory of 14-year-old Kezia Mason.

The choirs’ tuneful efforts drove media interest and social media engagement, and surprised and delighted passers by! In Guernsey, the sound of GADOC filled St Peter Port’s Market Square with joyful musical theatre songs to target the lunchtime footfall. Aureole, a music charity dedicated to bringing music to vulnerable or isolated community members, boosted moods in Jersey. They enlisted the help of their Parkinson’s outreach choir, The Sparky Parkies, and sang their hearts out in St Helier’s King Street.

We managed media engagement and interviews and captured on-the-day content to be used following the event on Skipton’s social and owned channels driving engagement.

The campaign achieved media coverage in The Guernsey Press, BBC Radio Guernsey, Island FM, Channel Eye, and Bailiwick Express, as well as a TV article on BBC Channel Island News. In Guernsey, media reach was 18,005, and 43,790 in Jersey.

James B Partridge, with a following of over 70,000, posted three Instagram reels that reached over 50,000 views, collaborating with Skipton International’s Instagram page.

“Working with Orchard has been fantastic. Their expertise and dedication across both Guernsey and Jersey have made our Purple Monday events a huge success. This year's Purple Monday event was really fun both for me and the Skipton office who attended and got involved with the choir, and we got good island-wide media coverage as well as involvement from a celebrity! I look forward to what we do next year!"

Julie Todd, PR Manager, Skipton International