Missed Birthdays campaign by CALM Wins Gold at Cannes Lions 2025
We’re incredibly proud to have played a part in Missed Birthdays - the powerful campaign by CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) - which has just won Gold in the Outdoor category at Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.
Missed Birthdays seen on Outernet's Vista screens
Outernet London supported this campaign with a rotational piece on our Vista screens, right in the heart of London, helping bring national visibility to a heart-wrenching message: 6,929 young people in the UK have taken their own lives over the past 10 years. Each one, a birthday missed.
A huge congratulations to the brilliant teams behind this important work, including a special shoutout to:
ITV and Iceland Foods Charitable Foundation
The people and companies involved in bringing campaign to life had the following to say:
Simon Gunning, Chief Executive Officer, CALM, said:
“It is unacceptable that we have lost 6,929 young people to suicide in the last decade. Behind that stark statistic are real people, and thousands of families going through the unimaginable pain of losing a child. We at CALM want to thank every single person that has generously shared their story with the Missed Birthdays campaign to date, and to Evelyn’s parents for the courage they have shown in allowing us to help tell their story in this new film. With their help, we’re urging absolutely everyone to save, share and bookmark the C.A.R.E. Kit. We all have a role to play in ending youth suicide. By starting life-saving conversations, we can all do our bit to help a young person find a way forward and make sure they never think that suicide is their only option.”
Ant Nelson & Mike Sutherland, Executive Creative Directors, adam&eveDDB, commented:
“This emotional campaign serves as a powerful reminder of the impact of youth suicide on families and friends. Evelyn’s story is one that will stay with us and we thank her family for sharing their memories of her with us. We hope that anyone who sees this film will be motivated to use CALM’s tools to support the young people in their lives who might be struggling.”
Helen Oakley, Client Lead at the7stars, said:
“To maximise impact and understanding of the issues young people currently face, we have prioritised viewing environments that allow us to tell the longer story, to really hit home and land the message.”
Tarsem Dhaliwal OBE, Group Chief Executive of Iceland Foods and Trustee of Iceland Foods Charitable Foundation said:
“Youth suicide is an urgent crisis, and we’re proud to support CALM’s powerful campaign to raise awareness and provide practical tools that can save lives. At Iceland, we’re deeply committed to the communities we serve, and we believe it’s crucial to help trusted adults feel confident in having those vital conversations with young people. Talking about suicide can feel difficult, but it’s only by addressing it directly that we can start to make a difference. CALM’s C.A.R.E. Kit is an invaluable resource, and we encourage everyone to take the time to familiarise themselves with it. Together, we can help ensure young people feel supported and know they’re not alone.”
The CALM C.A.R.E. Kit is available for free at thecalmzone.net. You can sign up to CALM’s newsletter to have tailored support sent directly to your phone.