Make the Connection
VA mental health awareness campaign launched November 2011 around MakeTheConnection.net, a searchable library of more than a thousand video testimonials from Veterans and families who faced mental health challenges and found support, aimed at reducing stigma and encouraging Veterans to seek care.
- Years
- 2011–now
- Country
- United States
- Budget
- USD 12.7 million initial contract, renewed Feb 2012 for 'just under $12 million' (Medill News Service, 2012); USAspending: 'Making the Connection outreach campaign, overcoming mental health stigma for veterans', Feb 2012-Jan 2013, USD 11,900,204
- Topic
- Mental health
- Asks people to
- Seek help
- Strategy
- Testimonial
- Channel
- Social (organic)Social (paid)Website
- Audience
- AdultsVeterans of all eras and their families and friends.
Evidence
NoneUnknown
Sponsor (who paid)
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration Office of Mental Health Federal government, funder and creator
Credits (who made it)
- Reingold (J.R. Reingold & Associates) Creative, 2011-2024 source
Executions (individual ads)
- Veteran story: "I really didn't think I deserved to be here..." 2020 · social-paid · meta-ad-library
- This #MentalHealthMonth, let a Veteran know that help is available 2020 · social-paid · meta-ad-library
- Make the Connection ad, Jul 8, 2022 2022 · social-paid · meta-ad-library
Related campaigns
Sources
- VA launches Make the Connection (VA news release) sponsor · 2011
- VA launches Make the Connection (American Legion, Nov 2011) news · 2011
- Make the Connection outreach page sponsor
- Helping Veterans Through Online Video (Tubefilter, 2012) news · 2012
- Cross-agency evaluation of DoD, VA and HHS mental health public awareness campaigns (RAND, via START/UMD) evaluation
Research notes
RAND cross-agency evaluation covers this and Real Warriors; extract its Make the Connection findings. Credits checked 2026-10-22 against fetched pages: Medill News Service (Aug 2012) says VA 'awarded J.R. Reingold the $12.7-million contract' for MakeTheConnection after open competition and renewed it for just under $12 million; NYX Awards 2024 lists Reingold, Inc. as entrant for 'Make the Connection's Mental Health Month Campaign' for the VA Office of Mental Health (https://nyxawards.com/winner-info.php?id=7215). Contract: VA79812J0067 (https://www.usaspending.gov/award/CONT_AWD_VA79812J0067_3600_VA79810D0103_3600); later outreach orders to Reingold include 'Media buying and web development for veterans outreach campaign' 2013-2015 (USD 14.9M) and VA general mental health and suicide prevention awareness and education outreach, 2016-2027. Meta/Google: search 'Veterans Affairs' / 'Make the Connection'. VA's Ad Council suicide campaign is recorded separately (dont-wait-reach-out). Reuse terms checked 2026-10-23 by an AI research pass for #47; not yet reviewed by a person.
Record cases/va-make-the-connection.json, updated 2026-10-23· Link to this campaign