What a Difference a Friend Makes (Campaign for Mental Health Recovery)

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Also: Campaign for Mental Health Recovery

“What a Difference a Friend Makes”

SAMHSA and Ad Council anti-stigma campaign launched in December 2006 encouraging young adults 18-25 to support friends living with mental illness, showing friendship as key to recovery. TV and radio spots were narrated by Liev Schreiber; the campaign was extended to college campuses (2008) and through a 2010 contest.

Years: 2006–2010
Country: United States
Topic: Mental health
Asks people to: Talk to someone
Strategy: Self efficacy Social norms
Channel: Print Radio School TV
Audience: Young adults
Adults 18-25 with friends living with mental illness.

Evidence

NoneUnknown

Sponsor (who paid)

Ad Council Ad Council (pro bono), campaign producer
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Federal government, partner/sponsor

Credits (who made it)

Grey Worldwide (New York) Creative, 2006 source
Liev Schreiber Individual, 2006 source

Related campaigns

Seize the Awkward 2018–now

Sources

Research notes

endYear 2010 assumed from the last documented activity (contest). Credits checked 2026-10-22 against fetched pages: Grey Worldwide and Liev Schreiber (Counseling Today, 15 Dec 2006: 'Created pro bono by Grey Worldwide'; TV and radio spots 'featuring a voiceover by Tony Award-winning actor Liev Schreiber'). The page says Grey Worldwide without naming the office; New York is assumed from the agency record. Links (#82) checked 2026-10-23: Ad Council pages from the Wayback Machine (adcouncil.org's old campaign pages), the Our History timeline or its case studies; dead campaign sites point to a Wayback copy from the campaign years.

Record cases/what-a-difference-a-friend-makes.json, updated 2026-10-23· Link to this campaign