Samaritans and Three have a shared belief in the life-changing power and possibility of human connection to make our lives better every day.
Over the course of the partnership, which kicked off in April 2021, Three and Samaritans have created award-winning campaigns, Better Phone Friend and Talk More Than Football, encouraging people to reach out, connect and listen to loved ones.
As part of their ongoing commitment, Three continues to leverage its technology, retail stores and expertise to help more people access emotional support, 24/7, 365 days a year.
This partnership marks an important step in our journey to deliver better connectivity, every day for every customer. Our work with Samaritans is one way in which we’re investing not only in technology but using the power of human connection to make people’s lives better.
Elaine Carey, Chief Commercial Officer at Three
Encouraging everyone to #TalkMoreThanFootball
Three teamed up with Chelsea FC to encourage football fans to open up about their mental health through the #TalkMoreThanFootball campaign.
At half-time in the Chelsea FC vs Brighton & Hove Albion match at Stamford Bridge Stadium on Saturday 15th April 2023, three Chelsea legends Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Eiður Guðjohnsen, Gary Cahill and three lifelong fans, stood in solidarity on the pitch with the Samaritans helpline number 116 123 clearly spelt out on the back of their shirts.
The six men took to the pitch to share a poignant message, encouraging the 44,000 fans at the game, and millions more across the UK and beyond, to #TalkMoreThanFootball.
New research commissioned by Three for the campaign revealed that nearly 9 in 10 (88 per cent) of the nation agrees that sport brings people together with 80 per cent stating that football does this the most out of any sport.
Brits are twice as likely to talk about football (55 per cent) than their mental wellbeing (24 per cent), this jumps to four times as likely amongst men (68 per cent football versus 17 per cent mental wellbeing). To add to this, only 1 in 10 see sport as an opportunity to discuss how they’re doing at a deeper level, and 30 per cent don’t feel comfortable, or never speak about their mental wellbeing at sporting events.
Suicide is the biggest killer of people under 35 and men under 50, and as times get tough it is vital that people feel able to reach out for support and talk about their mental health, now more than ever, whatever the occasion.
Inspiring the nation to become better listeners with award winning campaign Better Phone Friend
The Better Phone Friend campaign launched on 29 April 2021 to mark our new partnership with Three.
The campaign aimed to help people think about the ways in which they can be better listeners to the people around them. At the heart of the Better Phone Friend campaign is connecting with others.
Advertisements to promote the Better Phone Friend campaign were broadcast over a number of high-profile and popular TV programmes such as Coronation Street, Gogglebox, 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown and Alan Carr's Epic Game Show over the May Bank Holiday weekend. The campaign ads were also on a range of Premier League matches held over that weekend.
Award winning
In 2022 Better Phone Friend picked up three awards at the Corporate Engagement Awards, highlighting the amazing team work that went into creating a truly impactful campaign.
- Best collaborative approach
- Best PR and external comms
- Best alignment of brand values
Interested in partnering with Samaritans?
Get in touch with the team