Facts

Nearly 17 Veterans die by suicide each day. In 2021, suicide was the second-leading cause of death among Veterans under the age of 45 years old.

The Challenge

Veterans are at higher risk for suicide compared to the general population. The suicide rate among Veterans in 2021 was 71.8% higher than non-Veteran adults in the U.S., according to the 2023 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report. Stressful life events like divorce, job loss, or housing troubles can be risk factors for suicide. Among Veterans, these challenges can be compounded by the stigma around seeking help.

Our Solution

Since 2021, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Ad Council have partnered on the national “Don’t Wait. Reach Out.” campaign, which encourages Veterans to proactively seek help for life’s challenges and, ultimately, prevent Veteran suicides. In order to drive Veterans to the VA.gov/REACH campaign site to explore available resources for support, we met them where they were: tuned in live to baseball’s crown jewel, the World Series, one of the most-watched sporting events of the year in the U.S.

Results

• The World Series delivered an average of 11.8 million viewers across 6 games, including 4.7 million female viewers, finishing as the #1 program in primetime each night.
• The click rate to campaign website resources from direct and organic search traffic was triple or more than the daily average.
• A 15.5% increase in conversion rate for organic search-driven traffic and resource clicks across all four days of the World Series ad broadcasts.

Website “Conversion” actions included:

• Viewing resources for themselves or as friends and family of Veterans
• Clicking to talk to the Veterans Crisis Line
• Taking a self-assessment and viewing resources on the Support page

PARTNERSHIP ELEMENTS

Two :30 Veterans Crisis Prevention PSA spots, Battle Buddy and Women Veterans, ran a combined six times during Games 1, 4, 5, and 6 of the 2022 MLB World Series on FOX.

The two chosen assets were specifically developed to reflect and resonate with two key audiences within the Veteran population: 1) older Veterans aged 55+, who make up the largest population of Veterans in the U.S., and 2) women Veterans, the fastest-growing group of Veterans.