Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM), the suicide prevention charity on a mission to help people end their misery, not their lives, is launching the second phase of its Missed Birthdays campaign.



The campaign, made possible by funding from the Iceland Foods Charitable Foundation (IFCF), marks the next instalment of creative agency adam&eveDDB’s ongoing work with CALM, in partnership with ITV and the7Stars. Following on from an initial activation at Westfield London in 2024, the second burst of the campaign centres around one film, a true story of youth suicide. Through home videos from her childhood, the viewer is introduced to a little girl named Evelyn. We see Evelyn celebrate birthdays and Christmases, sharing moments of highs and lows with her family, laughing and dancing. As the family grows, Evelyn is seen playing and bonding with her younger siblings.

The film is beautifully narrated by Evelyn’s mum, who remembers her daughter’s beaming smile, kind heart and amazing hugs. The words form an emotional letter to Evelyn ahead of her birthday and in the final frame she is seen holding up balloons, celebrating her 15th birthday.

Towards the end of the film, white letters appear on a black background stating that Evelyn never celebrated her 16th birthday. She is one of 6,929 young people who have taken their own life in the last decade.

Much like the first phase of the campaign, the film will direct viewers to the CALM C.A.R.E. Kit, an online resource and suite of practical tools that enable parents and trusted adults to play an active role in ending youth suicide. The C.A.R.E kit hosts a comprehensive collection of resources designed to help prevent suicide by recognising and supporting young people throughout life and in moments of crisis.

The work will debut on 28th January 2025 alongside an omnichannel campaign planned and booked by the7stars, spanning cinema, TV, video-on-demand and social channels and runs for four weeks. The film is directed by Sebastian Edwards and produced by Academy Films. Media is managed by the7stars and PR by Hope & Glory.

The first part of the Missed Birthdays campaign launched with a major experiential activation at Westfield London in September 2024, coinciding with World Suicide Prevention Day. Missed Birthdays seeks to turn the tragic increase and magnitude of youth suicide into an unignorable and nationwide talking point.

In the UK, 6,929 15-24-year-olds have been lost to suicide FINAL: 21.01.25 between 2012 and 2022. Despite this sobering statistic, youth suicide is seldom spoken about. Only 15% of parents and carers have spoken about mental health and suicide with loved ones, despite 2 in 5 young people admitting to experiencing a mental health crisis or suicidal thoughts. The campaign forms part of CALM, ITV and Iceland Foods Charitable Foundation’s mission to unite the public in addressing the tragedy of youth suicide and empower every adult to play a role in protecting young lives.

Find out more on adam&eveDDB.