Turning care into culture –
STAN wins Silver Effie with BARMER
We are proud that purpose pays off. STAN has been awarded a Silver Effie at the GWA Effie Awards 2025 for “Mental First Aid” — a recognition that celebrates creative effectiveness at its core. The award honours an idea that proves measurable impact can happen when brands act within culture, not around it.Developed together with MISSION OM GmbH, Accenture Song, Starcom Germany, 27KM, 86Tales GmbH, Christian Durstewitz, and CREW10 GmbH, the project establishes a new cultural language for mental health — one shaped with Gen Z, not just for them.
What made the campaign stand out:
Peer-led storytelling through creators who spoke openly about stress, anxiety, and burnout — normalizing vulnerability rather than hiding it.
Targeted media placement across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, meeting young audiences where they already spend their time.
Influencer collaborations designed to spark authentic conversations instead of polished messaging, leading to thousands of shared personal stories.
A platform-first strategy that enabled the content to grow into a lasting ecosystem for dialogue and support.
The result: a replicable blueprint for how culturally embedded content can support public health infrastructures.
Winning the Silver Effie underlines the campaign’s central achievement: demonstrating that creativity can drive real behavioural change. When thousands take their first step toward help, it becomes clear that creativity is not just communication — it is connection.
At STAN, youth culture has always been essential to our work. Addressing mental health in a generation that is constantly online means cutting through the noise, not adding to it. “Mental First Aid” is our reminder that in a world overflowing with content, empathy remains the most powerful form of creativity.
What made the campaign stand out:
Peer-led storytelling through creators who spoke openly about stress, anxiety, and burnout — normalizing vulnerability rather than hiding it.
Targeted media placement across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, meeting young audiences where they already spend their time.
Influencer collaborations designed to spark authentic conversations instead of polished messaging, leading to thousands of shared personal stories.
A platform-first strategy that enabled the content to grow into a lasting ecosystem for dialogue and support.
The result: a replicable blueprint for how culturally embedded content can support public health infrastructures.
Winning the Silver Effie underlines the campaign’s central achievement: demonstrating that creativity can drive real behavioural change. When thousands take their first step toward help, it becomes clear that creativity is not just communication — it is connection.
At STAN, youth culture has always been essential to our work. Addressing mental health in a generation that is constantly online means cutting through the noise, not adding to it. “Mental First Aid” is our reminder that in a world overflowing with content, empathy remains the most powerful form of creativity.
