Encontrar+se is a Portuguese mental health association. They asked us to promote the European Year for Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations and increase Encontrar+se reputation for mental health practice in Portugal.

We created Felicidario, a calendar and a growing dictionary with 365 practical definitions of happiness. Happiness is synonymous for mental health. Everybody wants to be happy, but people think happiness is something you inherit, like money or genes. Everyday Felicidario shares a new illustrated definition of happiness.

We collected practical happiness definitions in senior universities and we invited 12 of the top Portuguese illustrators to design them. In the end of the year, Felicidario will have suggested 365 ways to be happy everyday no matter your age.

In only 3 months (January to March), Felicidário touched hundreds of thousands of people in the world:

- Felicidario made the news in national TV, radio stations, newspapers and magazines

- Felicidario is now a daily section in Publico, Portugal’s main daily paper

- The project has been covered by international media also (Folha de São Paulo/Brazil, Esquire/Spain, among others)

- Senior homes and illustrators are contacting Encontrar+se so they can colaborate

- Consumer generated definitions are being suggested

- 120.000 visitors to felicidario.encontrarse.com (google analytics)

- 600 references in external sites (google analytics) added 40.000 visits to website

- 7180 facebook fans so far (April)

- Daily traffic from 120 countries in the Felicidario website

- Increase of 25% in the Encontrarse mental health facebook page

We started with volunteer-based research: social assistants and therapists from Encontrar+se volunteered to visit senior universities and senior homes and enquiry about happiness definitions. That’s how we got the basis of our content.

We started with 3 high profile Portuguese illustrators (elected this year best children’s book publishing house in Boulogne). This commitment inspired other 9 to collaborate and produce each 30 pro-bono illustrations in a year. It also inspired more than 50 illustrators from several countries to contact us because they want to collaborate.

We started on-line: with Cargo Collective and Facebook as media, we relied on the viral power of 365 daily opportunities for the idea to spread.

The project is now evolving to an off-line strategy: the webstore is opening to sell large scale prints of the definitions and a printed calendar is being prepared for 2014.

All the money will revert to the Association.

January to March:

Google analytics to felicidario.encontrarse.pt:

- 120.000 visitors

- Daily traffic from 120 countries

- 8.836 website likes/recommendations

- 600 references in external sites (Google analytics) adding 40.000 visits

- Hundreds of people asking to buy prints, so we’re opening a web store soon

Facebook analytics to Felicidario Facebook page:

- 7180 Facebook fans so far

- 35.038 likes on page and 9133 shares

- Increase of 25% in the Encontrarse mental health Facebook page

Off-line results:

- 44 senior institutions contacted by Encontrar+se Association, resulting in 101 definitions so far

- 3 national TV shows interviewed Encontrar+se Association president about mental health, happiness and the elderly

- Mention in several national radio stations

- More than 20 interviews and news in newspapers, magazines, blogs and websites, both national and international

- Felicidario is now a permanent daily section in Publico, the most important Portuguese newspaper.