USAA - Powell Tate

Creating a united front against veteran suicide

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United Services Automobile Association (USAA)

USAA’s more than 100-year legacy is built on supporting and advocating for the military community. To continue serving those who serve, USAA identified the need to do more to address the issue of veteran suicide.

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The challenge

More than 120,000 veterans have died by suicide since 2001 with the veteran suicide rate currently 1.5 times that of the general population. The problem of veteran suicide is complex. There is rarely one single cause, there are often few warning signs, and there are no easy answers.

The solution

For over a year we worked alongside USAA and a team of experts to design the philanthropic strategy and identify outcomes necessary to stop veteran suicide. We wanted to create a campaign that would break the stigma of seeking help, increase the conversation about the problem and complement the efforts to stop veteran suicide – Face the Fight™.

In addition to strategic and earned media support, we led all creative for the campaign including casting four veterans with personal ties to suicide that are the true heroes and faces of the campaign. We worked with Resolute to develop the landing page where all information on Face the Fight lives. And we are continuing ideation for future key moments like Suicide Prevention Month to expand this effort.

The impact

Less than one month after the launch we have seen many wins:

The coalition is now comprised of 44 members, including veteran service organizations like the American Legion and corporations like Philips and Oracle Health.

581 donations were made to the Donor Advised Fund totaling $58,198.82.

The Face the Fight landing page generated 41,859 visits. Of the more than 17,000 users who have visited the site to date, 21% have clicked the “join the fight” button, expressing interest in participating in generating awareness and taking action.

High-performing media coverage and reach. 293 placements with more than 982M impressions.

Solid rate of social mentions of #FaceTheFight. 854 mentions, 2M impressions and more than 5K engagement.