Case Study
B2C PR
From silence to support: Raising mental health awareness with JugendNotmail
The results
10
MONTHS
13.9M
REACH
The brief
In early 2025, JugendNotmail – a Berlin-based non-profit organization that has been providing free online counseling to children and teenagers across Germany for over 20 years – caught our attention at a networking event, so we simply had to approach them. It turned out that we could support them with a deeply human challenge: to raise awareness about the importance of accessible mental health support for young people and to help recruit new volunteer counselors to meet the growing demand.
A recent DAK study shows that adolescents in Germany are increasingly unhappy and anxious. Therefore JugendNotmail wanted to send a clear message: emotional crises among youth are real and urgent – and help must be easy to find.
Through its anonymous digital platform, JugendNotmail connects young people with trained volunteer counselors who provide compassionate support in moments of loneliness, heartbreak, school-related stress and pressure, self-harm, or family difficulties – offering help in more than 27 languages, with each young person staying in contact with the same counselor for up to 12 weeks.
The campaign
As part of our ongoing collaboration, we support JugendNotmail in PR, media relations, and OOH consulting. In addition to traditional media and press outreach, we actively assist JugendNotmail in identifying suitable partners. Hence, we partnered with HYGH – a digital out-of-home media company – and the creative agency Gretchen to create a pro bono OOH campaign. Laika developed the storyline concept, and Gretchen brought it to life visually as a video. HYGH supported the initiative by offering JugendNotmail free advertising spaces across their nationwide screen network by end of the year, allowing us to translate the NPO’s emotional core into a powerful, wide-reaching digital out-of-home message.
In our strategic communications, we deploy targeted PR pitches on relevant youth issues such as loneliness, depression, and suicide to position JugendNotmail as a trusted support resource. Current studies highlight the urgency of these topics: nearly half of 16- to 30-year-olds report feeling lonely, and suicide remains the leading cause of death in this age group – the newly released 2024 figures paint an even bleaker picture, showing a slight deterioration compared to 2023. Through topic-specific press work, we ensure that JugendNotmail is firmly embedded in public discourse. At the same time, we strategically position JugendNotmail in the broader societal context by engaging media outlets focused on psychology, youth culture, lifestyle, health, and general news and TV platforms.
The results
The campaign successfully brought JugendNotmail’s mission into the national conversation and raised visibility for youth mental health. Through evidence-based storytelling and expert positioning, JugendNotmail’s spokesperson Katharina Claessen became a featured voice in Pure & Positive, while Stern Online and Daddylicious ran stories that reinforced the urgency of accessible help for young people.
The HYGH campaign video, launching at the end of the year, will extend this visibility into urban spaces across Germany and will mainly address new volunteer counselors.
By combining authentic storytelling, strategic media engagement, and emotional clarity, JugendNotmail has strengthened awareness of its mission, attracted new volunteer counselors, and reminded young people nationwide that help is always within reach – and that one message can change everything.
The work doesn’t stop here – we’re continuing to support JugendNotmail on their journey to reach even more young people in need.
“Our pro bono collaboration with Laika has truly exceeded all expectations. Laika brings not only outstanding professionalism and expertise to JugendNotmail, but also genuine empathy and passion. Christine and Fatma are both wholeheartedly committed to our cause. Thanks to their dedication, we’ve been able to strengthen our support for young people in distress — including those facing suicidal crises. We’re deeply grateful for Laika’s partnership, which combines heart and skill in the best possible way.”
Katharina Claessen, project management at JugendNotmail
Selected Media
Supporting Young People in Crisis Mode
Pure & Positive
