Citizen Relations' Ugly (Truths) Holiday Sweater Campaign

While the holiday season is widely considered a time of merriment and joy, for the one in two Canadians who have feelings of anxiety, depression or isolation during this period, it’s not the most wonderful time of the year.

Since media coverage heavily prioritizes the festive feelings over the more challenging ones, Citizen Relation’s Ugly (Truths) Holiday Sweater initiative aims to balance the tone of conversation this December, so those who struggle with their mental health know they’re not alone.

“The conversation around mental health took a huge step out of the shadows in 2021, with everyone from professional athletes to celebrities and even our employees speaking up in support of the cause or opening up about their struggles,” says Josh Budd, North American CCO at Citizen Relations. “Citizen’s first North American initiative is tied to our agency’s mission to craft conversations that count, and for us, this was an extremely important one to put our skills and energy towards this holiday season.”

At the centre of the campaign are actual Ugly Truths Holiday Sweaters that are meant to act as a catalyst to conversation. Citizen has taken an iconic holiday staple and used them as a trojan horse for people to take notice and give the topic of mental health the attention it deserves. As a PR agency is tackling this initiative with no paid media support. To fuel the conversation Citizen is encouraging hundreds of celebrities, athletes, government officials and business leaders who have been vocal on the topic of mental health to wear and share using #UglyHolidayTruths. Sweaters are also being sent to media across the country, asking them to use their platforms to speak about the topic of mental health, which is often minimized this time of year.

Citizen has partnered with the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) here in Canada to provide their expertise in the conversation around mental health. Together they commissioned a survey of 1500 Canadians and learned that 52% of people report feelings of depression or sadness, anxiety or worry and isolation or loneliness during the holiday season (Maru, Dec. 2021). CMHA has lent its support to the campaign by providing access to expert spokespeople across Canada and resources where people can go to get information or seek help. Citizen Relations has donated to CMHA to further the organization’s goal of promoting mental health and supporting the resilience and recovery of those dealing with mental health concerns or mental illness and is encouraging others to do the same through the campaign.

Citizen Relations would like to thank Ugly Christmas Sweaters for their generous donation of 150 sweaters to the campaign, as well as Nikki Ormerod and the Undivided Creative team for donating their time and energy to create a photoshoot of typical holiday moments featuring our sweaters.

ABOUT CITIZEN RELATIONS: Citizen Relations is a global, award-winning, integrated creative communications agency.

ABOUT THE CANADIAN MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION: Founded in 1918, the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) is the most established, most extensive community mental health organization in Canada.