“I am fine” is one of the most familiar responses in everyday conversations. But how often does it tell the whole story? With #UnpackTheBaggage, Mpower, a pan-India mental health service provider and an initiative of the Aditya Birla Education Trust (ABET), turns the spotlight on the emotions that often remain unspoken through a new public awareness campaign.
At the heart of the campaign is an everyday object that takes on a deeper meaning, offering a thought-provoking perspective on emotional baggage and the experiences we carry with us as we grow up. Created with Schbang, the film invites viewers to look beyond familiar responses and reflect on what it means to truly feel fine.
The campaign draws on Mpower’s Unpack Your Emotional Baggage survey of young adults aged 18 to 25 across ten regions of India. The findings highlight the gap between experiencing emotional distress and seeking support: 49.5% of respondents said they hide difficult emotions and deal with them alone, while only 9.2% reported having sought professional help.
Speaking about the campaign, Roshan Wadhwani, Vice President – Marketing, Aditya Birla Education Trust, said, “One of the challenges in mental health communication is finding a way to move beyond messages people have heard before and make them stop and think. With #UnpackTheBaggage, we wanted to take a familiar part of everyday life and look at it from a different perspective. The idea was to create something that stays with the viewer beyond the film itself and sparks a conversation.”
Adding further Rajeshwari Rao, National Creative Director, Schbang Said “This film is definitely a lot more personal to everyone involved right from its inception to its final execution. Because who amongst us hasn’t been scarred by life? Professionally and creatively, it ticks all the right boxes for us as the creative agency but more importantly, our partnership with The Aditya Birla Education Trust has been all the more gratifying given the subject matter of this campaign. We were stoked from the outset to bring their vision to life”.
Through #UnpackTheBaggage, Mpower continues its efforts to bridge the gap between mental health awareness and help-seeking, encouraging young people to acknowledge their emotions and recognise that they do not have to navigate them alone.
Watch the film: https://youtu.be/M-xB8w8CBVw?si=TE18MCuVJvR22vF6