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Don't Wait. Reach Out. (Veteran Suicide Prevention)

“Don't Wait. Reach Out.”

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and Ad Council campaign launched in October 2021, part of the Ad Council's Mental Health Initiative, encouraging veterans facing challenges to reach out early for support before a crisis, directing them to VA.gov/REACH. Later PSAs feature veterans speaking to other veterans, including a 2023 film directed by Kathryn Bigelow.

Years
2021–now
Country
United States
Budget
Ad Council reports "more than $125 million in donated media support".
Topic
Mental healthSuicide prevention
Asks people to
Seek help
Strategy
Service linkTestimonial
Channel
OutdoorRadioSocial (paid)TV
Audience
Adults
U.S. veterans, especially those facing challenges before they reach crisis.

Evidence

Self-reportedUnknown

Ad Council/VA report more than 7.3 million visits to VA.gov/REACH and claim more than three million struggling veterans who saw the message took action to seek help (sponsor survey extrapolation).

Sponsor (who paid)

Credits (who made it)

Executions (individual ads)

Related campaigns

Sources

  1. New PSAs from VA and the Ad Council strive to reduce veteran suicide (Ad Council) sponsor
  2. VA and the Ad Council affirm that every veteran deserves support (Ad Council) sponsor
  3. REACH campaign impact (VA) sponsor
  4. Kathryn Bigelow works with Ad Council to help veterans in crisis (Campaign) news · 2023

Research notes

Credits checked 2026-10-22 against fetched pages: TBWA\Chiat\Day New York (Ad Council launch release, 26 October 2021, 'created pro bono by creative agency TBWA\Chiat\Day NY'), GSD&M and Kathryn Bigelow (Ad Council release, 6 September 2023: PSAs 'created pro bono by advertising agency GSD&M', film directed by Bigelow; Ad Council release, 2 December 2025, GSD&M again, directed by Dominique DeLeon of Rodeo Show Productions). Corrected 2026-10-22: GSD&M is not the 2021 launch agency; its years changed from '2021-' to 2023-2025 and TBWA\Chiat\Day added for 2021. Bigelow source moved from Campaign (blocked) to the Ad Council release. Viget (same 2021 release: the VA.gov/REACH website 'was designed by Viget' and developed by Reingold). GSD&M also made the September 2024 PSAs (Ad Council release, 4 September 2024). An earlier Ad Council veterans effort with Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (BBDO New York) is a separate campaign. Links (#82) from the Ad Council cause page's Visit Campaign Site button, checked 2026-10-23.

Record cases/dont-wait-reach-out.json, updated 2026-10-23· Link to this campaign