Ogilvy poetry book doubles as a mental health Intervention
Created by Ogilvy Health UK, ‘Life Lines’ is a poetry anthology designed around a devastating statistic: an estimated 14 men die by suicide every day in the UK.
Launched on National Poetry Day (1 October 2026) in partnership with the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM), each poem in the book contains exactly 14 lines, with a blank page directly following to allow readers space to write their own words.
The campaign confronts the stark reality that suicide remains the leading cause of death for men under 50 in the UK, with 1 in 4 people experiencing suicidal thoughts during their lifetime.
To reach men where they are, copies of the book were distributed directly into everyday spaces, including UK train stations, tube stops, and pubs.
Image credit: OgilvyStigma into sonnets
"Every line in this book represents a life that should still be with us,” says John McPartland, executive creative director at Ogilvy Health UK.
Written entirely by individuals personally affected by suicide, the anthology explores four critical pillars of modern mental health strain: Pressure, Isolation, Stress and Burnout, and Trauma.
Much like CALM’s acclaimed ‘Missed Birthdays’ installation, the project takes heavy, abstract public health data and scales it down to a deeply human level.
Where typical charity campaigns rely on high-impact shock value, Life Lines introduces a quiet pause.
Image credit: OgilvyCredits
Client: CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably)
Agency: Ogilvy Health UK
Campaign: Life Lines
Voice Contribution: Cocomonty
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