A new national campaign from youth mental health non-profit Jack.org is showing young people how it can equip them with the skills they need to help each other through struggles with mental health.

Jack.org, which aims to train and empower Canadian youth about mental health and wellness, has launched what it calls a “Be There Certificate” – a document for 14- to 25-year-olds to track training provided by the organization to demonstrate that they have the tools needed to productively speak about mental health with their loved ones.

The Certificate is an extension of the non-profit’s “Be There” platform, which includes five “Golden Rules”: Say what you see; show you care; hear them out; know your role; and connect to help. The ultimate goal of the program is “simple,” says Magalie Shah, copywriter at the creative agency Republik, which worked with the organization on this effort – “for young people to take ownership of the different messages.”

Using the colours of the “Be There” initiative on a broader scale, the certification program employs language young people would be familiar with to recognize their efforts, such as “be their certified emotional rock” and “be their certified CEO of checking in.”

It also employs the language and tone of the target audience with its messaging across social platforms. In one social ad, for example, is the line “When my friend started opening up, I knew I had to tone it down with the ‘omg me too’s and really tune in to what they were sharing.”

“We created an accessible look and feel that includes references that young people know well,” says Melanie Boucher, design director at the agency. That bleeds through in the chosen imagery, as well, from a walkie-talkie to a Rubik’s cube, all of which are designed to trigger nostalgia and “make the campaign appealing and surprising,” she adds.

The campaign is running in both English and French across web and social platforms that include Narcity, TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube.