Can brands help beat the Blue Monday blues?

Can brands help beat the Blue Monday blues?

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The festive season is now behind us and with the January blues kicking in, I’m sure a lot of us will be feeling the effects of Blue Monday on the 15th January!

?Blue Monday is a concept proposed by psychologist Cliff Arnall in partnership with Sky Travel, where a ‘formula’ was created to work out the saddest day of the year. It was determined that it usually fell on the 3rd Monday in January, some of the factors accounted for within the ‘formula’ are: weather, people’s financial situations, time since Christmas, and low levels of motivation.

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Blue Monday is not an exact science, and many have said that it is a myth. However, with the cost-of-living crisis and other global events that may be having a profound effect on many of us, Blue Monday might feel very real this year. Previously, many brands have leveraged Blue Monday to run wellbeing/mental health lead campaigns. Therefore, I wanted to take a closer look at previous brand activations around blue Monday, what’s happening in 2024, and what else we can be doing to bust the blues!

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Brands and Blue Monday

It might seem like some brands are just using Blue Monday to push products with sales or discount codes and yes, these can be great, but there are some brands that have created meaningful campaigns that can make a differences, however small!


Pret A Manger Campaign

Sometimes it is better to give than it is to receive, and it is with that sentiment that Pret A Manger launched their ‘Make Someone Smile Campaign’ back in 2016. Baristas were given the opportunity to choose 120,000 customers at random and give them a special ‘make someone smile’ sleeve on their takeaway cup. The customer was then encouraged to pay it forward to a family member, friend, colleague, or better still a complete stranger so that they could redeem a free coffee or tea. With the sleeves being valid until the end of February, it meant that feel good feeling was around long after Blue Monday.


Aperol Campaign

In 2019, Campari Group ran a competition where winners had a chance to have 2 signature Aperol Spritz cocktails delivered to their homes in London, Brighton and Bristol. Aperol arranged for a branded minivan to show up at the winners’ doors on the evening of Blue Monday, and have the attending bartender make the cocktails fresh from the back of the van.

This campaign created much buzz for the brand and Aperol lovers alike and it was the perfect way to bring people together to catch-up.?


What’s happening this year?

Although we probably will not know if or how our favourite brands will activate campaigns on Blue Monday until the day, here is what some brands are planning this year.

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Samaritans - Brew Monday Campaign

The Samaritans are continuing their long standing ‘Brew Monday’ campaign that encourages people to check-in with family, friends and colleagues with a cup of tea, coffee or beverage of your choice. Reminding us all to take the time to stop, share and listen.

Should you wish to host your own Brew Monday, they also provide advice on how to be a good listener and a toolkit with information on how to set up your event and fundraise here.

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The Feelings People - Blue Monday Special: Shift your Mindset

One for the ladies… Blue Monday marks the beginning of their Wellbeing week for women.

If you fancy doing something solo or just working on yourself, why not join The Feeling People’s free online lunch time event to help you beat the blues, offering practical tips and techniques to transform your mindset! Further information can be found here.

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Harley Street Business Improvement District - Blue Monday Cuddle Club

Harley Street Business District is offering people 30-minute slots for a bit of dog therapy at The Mandeville Hotel in Marylebone. For further information please see here.

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My Blue Monday

For me I think I’ll be treating Blue Monday as a day to remind myself to be grateful for all that I have and to take a minute to nurture my own wellbeing.

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Here are 3 things that I will be doing on 15th January:

  • Start my day with a mindful meditation.
  • Lift someone else’s mood with an act of kindness.
  • Meet, eat and drink with those that feed my soul.


I also look forward to seeing how brands will opt to help us beat the blues on Blue Monday, even if it is a discount voucher for some of my favourite items.

Remember to be kind to yourself and if you do find yourself in a space where you feel like you do need to talk to a mental health professional, please reach out to one of the charities below:

Samaritans

Mind

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