Humanize and destigmatize depression’s multiple symptoms by pushing against the stereotypical dark/somber communications of the category.

We wanted to break through category norms and use humor. No other pharmaceutical company has ever leveraged this approach for something as serious as depression, let alone in an open forum. We created Lighter Blue, an unbranded social media campaign (no easy feat in the US, where the government approves work) that starred an illustrated character named Blue, who educates depression sufferers through humor and whose own struggle with depression was wholly relatable. Blue is as sad, isolated, and as vulnerable as our audience and struggles just like them to function with daily tasks due to the many symptoms of depression (tiredness, indecisiveness, trouble concentrating, etc). While the campaign started out as just content we hoped people would find useful and entertaining, it rapidly grew into something far greater: a living, breathing support community.

Even though people with depression are often afraid to share publicly, we chose to roll out our campaign on Facebook because of the broad reach of both the condition and the platform. Facebook allowed us to communicate our message to the broadest swath of sufferers, so we could connect content about the right symptom to the right sufferer. To date, 100 posts, a vast number in this medium, live on the Lighter Blue Facebook page. They educate about the multiple symptoms of depression, ranging from humorous cartoons, health tips, motivation, inspiration, news, and more.

To be honest, we were pretty sure the sufferers of a stigmatizing disease like depression would not do more than simply view our page. We were so wrong. People felt understood and learned more about their disease, which opened the flood gates to something quite rare: publicly sharing, commenting, supporting and connecting with each other.

After one year, social engagements equaled 10.7M, exceeding our goal sixfold! Far from simply lurking, people were reacting (>8M), sharing (>1.5M), and commenting (>300K). This avalanche of social engagement told us one thing: we had unlocked a pent-up demand for highly engaging, relatable content, and fresh education about depression.

And while this wasn’t the goal, it is the icing on the cake: We’re now the most liked unbranded pharmaceutical page on Facebook. A single post of Blue has generated over one million likes. Blue is a true best friend and a social sensation.