"Take your mate on a date" says ITV's Britain Get Talking as 1 in 3 of us are seeing friends less than we have in years¹

ITV and STV’s landmark mental health initiative, Britain Get Talking, returned this weekend to encourage the nation to spend more quality time with their mates.

The campaign is fronted by well-loved friends from ITV and STV including Britain Get Talking veterans Ant & Dec, The Voice’s Tom Fletcher & Danny Jones and This Morning’s Alison Hammond & Dermot O’Leary. Developed by Uncommon Creative Studio and supported by Mind, YoungMinds and SAMH (Scottish Action for Mental Health), it features across TV, out of home, editorial and social.

Latest research by YouGov shows that 1 in 3 of us are seeing our close mates less than we have in years. As many of us move further away, go through life changes and grapple with the cost of living crisis, it’s become harder than ever to stay close to our friends. And yet spending time with our friends is one of the best actions we can take to support our mental wellbeing.

With a call to action to “take your mate on a date,” the campaign playfully encourages us all to celebrate our friendships as deeply as we do romance. It kicked off this weekend with a live stunt on the Love Island Aftersun final where we saw Pete Wicks fly out to surprise his best pal and Love Island panellist, Sam Thompson, to ask him out on a mate date. They then enjoyed a chat and a catch-up at the Aftersun bar together.

The TV ad, which launched in the ad break of Love Island Aftersun, opens with Love Island’s Maya Jama posing the question “Who doesn’t love, love?” followed by a fitting response from best pals Ant & Dec that there’s something else just as important - friendship. The duo then pass the baton on to a host of ITV stars to promote the benefits of a quality catch up with friends.

Watch the TV ad

The out of home ads go one step further to encourage us all to put the effort in with our friendships by using sumptuous over-the-top romantic gestures like flowers and chocolates to invite people out on a mate date.

Audiences looking for support on how to connect with others will be signposted to the website itv.com/BritainGetTalking for further tips and advice.

Britain Get Talking originally launched in October 2019 and forms part of ITV’s wider social purpose to improve the nation’s mental wellbeing. Last year, over 7 million people connected with others as a result of the initiative, which remains the UK’s most well-known mental health campaign.

Quotes

Britain Get Talking is all about connecting with other people for our mental wellbeing, and what better way to do this than through our friendships. It’s great to see ITV’s most iconic friendship duos come together to remind us how important it is to carve out meaningful time together.

Susie Braun, Group Director of Social Purpose and Sustainability

Young people tell us that their friendships are hugely important and can have a positive impact on their mental health. We hope that this campaign shows that just by being there for your friend and taking the step to have a conversation with them about how they are feeling, you can make a difference.

Laura Bunt, Chief Executive at YoungMinds

We know that spending time with friends plays an important role in maintaining our wellbeing and that conversations about mental health can be life-changing. That’s why SAMH is pleased to continue supporting Britain Get Talking, which this year is calling on us to check in and reconnect with our friends.

Billy Watson, Chief Executive at SAMH

Spending time with our friends, however you're able to, lets them know you care and can help you understand what they're going through. We know talking isn’t the whole solution, but it can help us feel less alone, more able to cope and encouraged to seek support if we need to. We’re proud to support ITV’s Britain Get Talking campaign and celebrate the powerful role friendships can have in helping our mental health.

Sarah Hughes, Chief Executive of Mind

Creative credits:
Uncommon Creative Studio

About ITV’s Social Purpose:
ITV entertains and connects with millions of people globally, reflecting and shaping culture with brilliant content and creativity. This gives us a great opportunity to change ITV for the better and inspire positive change in the wider world. Our purpose is shaping culture for good. We do this across four focus areas: Mental Wellbeing, Better Futures, Diversity & Inclusion and Climate Action.

For more information, please visit: itvplc.com/socialpurpose

Key stats

Source: YouGov nat-rep poll, 1,006 UK adults (16+), ran 26th to 28th June 2024

• 1 in 3 people (33%) are spending less time with their friends than they did 5 years ago (sample: 1,006)