In just five years, Bell’s #BellLetsTalk campaign to raise money for mental health organizations has become one of the biggest and most-discussed marketing initiatives in Canada.
This year’s campaign is no exception. Long before office hours ended on Bell’s Let’s Talk day of action, Jan. 28, the number of messages sent in support of the campaign far surpassed the number sent in 2014. Everyone from hockey teams to universities, celebrities and politicians have made use of the #BellLetsTalk hashtag.
Here’s Marketing’s by-the-numbers look at how the campaign has delivered over the years– and a look at some of the most compelling #BellLetsTalk tweets.
50,000,000
Texts, tweets and calls Bell registered for this year’s campaign as of 2:30 on Jan. 28
1,900,000
Total messages sent in 2014
$67,500,000
Amount Bell has donated to mental health organizations since it started Bell Let’s Talk in 2010
$5,470,000
Amount Bell donated to mental health organizations in 2014 as a result of #BellLetsTalk
14%
Increase in messages sent year-over-year between 2013 and 2014
6,594
Retweets this promoted Bell tweet received
3,361
Retweets on another, non-promoted Bell tweet
758
Retweets on this #BellLetsTalk tweet from Winnipeg Jet Evander Kane
3,225
Retweets on this #BellLetsTalk tweet from Justin Trudeau
In a series of tweets, ESPN’s Jordan Kuhns shared stories about his personal struggles with anxiety, starting with the bullying he faced as a teen.
I was bullied relentlessly for being overweight and socially awkward in middle school. Didn’t have many friends back then. #BellLetsTalk
— Jordan Kuhns (@jckuhns) January 28, 2015
The street artist Banksy shared several illustrations, including this one of Robin Williams.
#BellLetsTalk pic.twitter.com/sRa2IjKuXr
— banksy (@thereaIbanksy) January 28, 2015
MTV’s strategy? Tag a bunch of celebs and hope they bring the RTs.
Let's just tag all our favourite celebs today to try and get ALL OF THE RTs for #BellLetsTalk day, ok? @VictoriaJustice @snooki @JENNIWOWW
— MTV Canada (@mtvcanada) January 28, 2015
The Montreal Canadiens challenged the Boston Bruins to set their rivalry aside for a moment to join the campaign. (The team agreed and pulled in 860 retweets)
Old rivals, some things are bigger than hockey. A #BellLetsTalk tweet to end the stigma on mental health, @NHLBruins? ^ER
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) January 28, 2015
The Rogers-owned streaming service also put aside its streaming rival, the Bell-owned CraveTV, to support the campaign. (Ed note: Marketing is also owned by Rogers.)
No one is a competitor for a good cause. Make sure to use #BellLetsTalk today to raise awareness for mental health!
— shomi (@shomicanada) January 28, 2015
