Fisher Wallace Laboratoriesmaker of a device approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of depression, insomnia and anxiety, promotes itself (and mental well-being in general) in an unconventional way: by lending its support to “unhappy happy people”, a TikTok comedy series. By doing so, the company hopes to stimulate dialogue and remove the stigma surrounding conversations about mental health.
“Unhappy Happy People” collects a variety of short clips in which comedians talk about their experiences with mental health. Through comedy, Fisher Wallace believes, some of the remaining barriers around discussing mental health can be removed.
Alexandra Gilson, vice president of paid social media at CMI Media Group, is optimistic about the approach. “Social media is a place where we can engage with the pharmaceutical industry in those conversations and provide resources and support to those who may be suffering in silence. We can give them the help they need,” she said.
But is a comedy series the way to do it? After all, there is a risk of downplaying the seriousness of mental health problems for an impressionable audience. Gilson’s partner, Senior Vice President of the CMI Social Center of Excellence jose simondismissed such concerns, saying TikTok is the perfect platform to expand traditional dialogues about mental health.
“It’s not like traditional social media,” he explained. “It has to feel authentic. That means showing real faces and making it feel less produced,” he said.
This story first appeared at mmm-online.com.
