At a time when mental illness is at an all-time high, Doritos has changed its packaging across its entire range to feature a “Be Bold. Reach Out” message.
72 per cent of Australians have felt emotionally or mentally down in the last year, with many young Australians hiding the reality of how they’re feeling due to things like stigma or judgement. Partnering with youth mental health organisation ReachOut, Doritos are encouraging young people to share a pack and start a conversation.
New research has found that 68 per cent of young people deflect the question or commonly respond with "I'm fine" when asked how they are feeling, with 3 in 5 young Aussies using phrases like “I’m fine,” “I’m good” or “I’m okay” up to 10 times a week, 40 times a month and 520 times a year.
The new packs feature a QR code on the pack which, once scanned, opens ReachOut’s ‘Checking In With Yourself Quiz’ that has been designed to help young people track how they’re feeling and provide steps to take if they feel like they need some additional advice or support.
PepsiCo. CMO Vandita Pandey said ReachOut was an “incredible” online mental health and that more people needed to know these services exist and were easy to use.
“We are using the power of our voice and our brand platform, with three months of media and 13 millions packs in market, to remind people to ‘Be Bold and Reach Out’ and access this amazing network when they need it,” Pandey.
ReachOut CEO Ashley de Silva said that finding practical strategies to prevent "everyday" issues from becoming bigger can be really beneficial.
Making time to recognise and acknowledge your feelings can be a great way for young people in Australia to keep on top of their mental health.
Asking a simple question like “how am I feeling on a scale of 1 to 10” can help to identify whether they need to take some time out, practise some self-care or seek some support.
“After a challenging few years for young people in Australia, conversation and connection is so important and we are proud to be partnering with a brand like Doritos to increase youth mental health awareness and encourage people to check in with themselves and each other,” Silva said.
