Sue Ryder launches campaign to encourage UK to be Grief Kind

The OOH and social campaign intends to give the nation the know-how and confidence to help someone they love when they experience a bereavement.   At a time where so many people are grieving without support, Sue Ryder’s Grief Kind campaign aims to create a society where people feel comfortable talking about bereavement so that no one goes through grief alone.

Grief Kind is based on audience insight which found that people want to better support friends and family who are grieving.  Often people don’t know what to say and so end up saying nothing at all and Sue Ryder want to give the nation tangible advice, products and services to solve this societal problem.

The first stage of the campaign includes the launch of a pack of four illustrated alternative sympathy cards, to help people find words in the hardest moments. These have already had a huge impact, with 600 sign ups in the first 24 hours and 6,100 conversions within the first week of launch.

The cards are illustrated by Frieda Ruh, Beatrice Simpkiss, Gem D’Souza, and Harriet Noble and were developed after extensive audience testing to tap into existing audience behaviours and disrupt a stale market.

GOOD worked with the bereavement team at Sue Ryder to develop honest and heartfelt card messages which truly reflect how people feel in these moments. All four cards are intended to be sent to the same bereaved individual over a period of time, as grief has no set timeline. The pack also contains advice on how to be Grief Kind, with prompts about what to write and information on the great and supportive work Sue Ryder does.

The OOH campaign, illustrated by Margaux Carpentier and Mahdis Nikou, drives awareness and aims to start a national conversation about grief. It drives audiences to the bespoke Grief Kind landing page which collates all the bespoke resources and information, as well as Sue Ryder’s bereavement advice.

The campaign aims to provide real value to new and existing audiences, and ultimately convert them to donors. The initial stage of the campaign was a digital handraiser and educational email journey, which smashed the target by 400%, indicating the societal need for the movement.

GOOD works with Sue Ryder across all their brand, fundraising strategy, and creative. Over the past three years they have worked together re-brand their purpose and identity as a charity, helping the charity to re-engage with the wider public and communicate its offer more clearly as well as on their fundraising proposition.

Isobel Boyce & Pete Snell, Creative Team at GOOD, said:

“It’s been a privilege to respond creatively to a real societal need and collaborate with so many talented artists and bereavement experts. We really hope that the campaign is the catalyst to creating a more grief kind nation.”

Jenny Smith, Senior Marketing Manager at Sue Ryder, said:  

“We have thoroughly enjoyed working with GOOD on our Grief Kind campaign.  We hope that Grief Kind helps equip people will the tools to respond to grief with warmth and acceptance, rather than shying away from open conversations.   Together, we can better support our loved ones through a bereavement.”

Agency credits:

Account Director: Amy Stirling

Account Manager: Holly Marling

Planner: Helena Farrell

Senior Digital Project Manager: Meri Melo

Creative Team: Isobel Boyce (Senior Copywriter) & Pete Snell (Associate Creative Director)

Designers: Lottie Evelyn & Toks Adeola

Artworker: Paul Brand