Honour the past, Combat Stress
An evocative campaign to boost awareness of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and raise funds for veterans’ specialist mental health treatment.
The work
With the target audience front of mind, my initial thought was ‘everyone loves a plane’. Working closely with the Imperial War Museum, we created an evocative appeal rich in nostalgia, to hook in those who care about history and the military too. Content ranged from awe-inspiring images of much-loved planes to intriguing war-time stories, including a total gem about Beethoven helping to secure victory.
With the golden thread ‘honour the past and look after the future’, the appeal honoured the bravery of young soldiers who battled shellshock. And it laid bare the impact of PTSD today - how flashbacks and nightmares destroy lives. The solution, specialist mental health treatment, was brought to life through a moving story from Army veteran Pete, who described his journey from attempted suicide, to recovery.
Writing a heartfelt testimony in collaboration with Sir Patrick Stewart helped pack a punch, as the much-loved actor described his father’s battle with military trauma and asked people to get behind veterans’ mental health.
The challenge
Every year, Combat Stress provides helps thousands of veterans recover from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). When the mental health charity asked Catalyst to design an integrated fundraising appeal in spring 2025, we crafted an appeal around the 80th Anniversary of VE Day.
The impact
The multi-channel cash appeal raised awareness of PTSD and smashed all fundraising targets.