"Let's Talk"

by Shaker Superior Olive

So, if you've been watching Canadian TV lately, and I know you have, then you've probably seen this commercial (transcript at end) starring Clara Hughes, 6-time Olympic medalist.

(There is a another, longer video here, for which there's a transcript at the end of the post, as well as a French version here for which I apologize for not providing a transcript, but my French isn't that good, lol!)

The commercial is Clara Hughes for Bell Canada, talking about mental health, and introducing the company's Let's Talk initiative. On February 9th, for every long distance call and text message its customers make, Bell Canada will donate 5¢ to mental health related programs across the country. The initiative was launched last fall, but this is the first I've heard of it, through this commercial. More information on their initiatives and goals can be found on their website under the Gain Perspective and Bell Initiatives links.

(Note: By the way, all of Bell's commercials are structured around the blue "Bell" in a white space like this one, and the music at the end is the same as in their other commercials, if you were wondering why it's so chipper for a mental health commercial, lol.)

What caught my attention was someone as well-known and high-profile as Clara Hughes as the spokesperson. I've been reading about her for years, but I was quite surprised to hear that Clara Hughes had battled depression.

For those unfamiliar with her, here's what I know about her: She's from my hometown, Winnipeg; she won two bronze medals in road cycling at the Atlanta Olympic games; she switched to speed skating, a sport she had previously tried as a teenager, and won bronze in the 3000k in Salt Lake City, making her one of only a handful of atheletes to win medals in both summer and winter Olympics; at the Torino Olympics she won silver in the team pursuit and gold in the 5000k, making her the only athelete to ever win multiple medals in both summer and winter Olympics; and finally another bronze in Vancouver in the 5000k. After winning gold, she also donated $10,000 of her own money (i.e. not a medal bonus) to Right to Play, announcing it in an interview hoping to inspire Canadians to donate to the organization. She's a highly recognizable and beloved Canadian.

I'm not sure when it was, in relation to her professional timeline, that she was, in her words, battling depression for two years.

She's an interesting choice of spokesperson, because the image I, and I think most Canadians who've watched her, have is that of a bubbly, smiling, generous, and overall happy personality. To hear that someone so successful and with such a seemingly sunny disposition has/had depression can be surprising to those unfamiliar with depression, in a good way. Part of the stigma of depression and other mental health issues is that nobody ever thinks that someone like that would have to deal with it. Clara Hughes challenges stereotypes about mental illness.

I admit I'm a bit biased, as I admire and have had a huge crush on her for ages, but I'm pretty impressed with this initiative. It's rare to see a company doing their philanthropic work in the area of mental health, and Clara Hughes as a spokesperson is an excellent choice. I'm interested in seeing where this initiative goes, if it does ease some of the stigma around mental health issues (or not).

What do you think?

Transcripts:

30-Second Commercial:

A shot of Clara Hughes standing on top of the "e" in Bell, tall and confident.

Clara Hughes: Hi! You may know me as a six-time Olympic medalist in both the summer and winter olympics. What you might not know about me…

camera pans down the "e" to another Clara sitting down, in a different shirt, this time a head and shoulders shot, leaning forward, elbows on knees pose.

…is that for two difficult years I battled depression. One in five Canadians is affected by mental illness, and many will not get the help they need because they're afraid to talk about it. And this has to change. So, on February 9th, let's talk.

Clara holds up an iPod or other large-screened phone in front of her mouth: the phone has a proportional picture of her smiling mouth. music plays as camera zooms out to show both Claras, one standing on top of the “e”, the other sitting in front of it text reads: Bell Let's Talk bell.ca/letstalk

---------------------------

Longer Video:


A shot of Hughes standing against a white background

Being committed to sport for over 20 years and being an Olympic athlete, I've obviously had to overcome a lot of obstacles, including countless crashes and lots of bumps and bruises along the way. But that's just the physical side, the kind of injuries that often heal on their own. Mentally, it's a different story. Sport can be difficult on a person, but so can everyday life. No matter what we're doing, it's important that we have support mechanisms in place. And that means making sure that we're up to the tasks and challenges before us, and if we're not, then turning to others for the help that we need.

It's not by accident that high-performance athletes depend on physiologists and psychologists as part of what I like to call the Circle of Strength. All of those people who, as an athlete, I rely on for comfort, courage, technical support, and on and on. I think the same can be said for society overall. At times we need others, including leaders in the business world like Bell, to be part of our larger Circle of Strength. There are a lot of organizations around the world that are doing tremendous good through their philanthropic programs, and I count Bell among them.

Mental health is a perfect case in point. It affects everyone, yet it impacts each of us differently on an individual basis. And, all too often, the stigma surrounding it prevents people from getting the help that they need. Bell understands that mental health is a huge issue, and I applaud them for doing something about it.

text appears: Bell Let's Talk bce.ca/mentalhealth