Promise to Talk
Breaking cultural barriers around mental health and turning conversation into action across diverse communities
The Moment
In many Hispanic and Asian communities, cultural norms can discourage open conversations about mental health creating barriers that prevent individuals from seeking help. Increasing awareness alone wasn’t enough; the campaign needed to shift behavior, normalize conversation, and build trust within communities where talking about feelings is often avoided. Reaching mothers as trusted voices within families became the key to unlocking those conversations.
The Solution
Westbound built a culturally grounded campaign designed to meet audiences where they are: combining paid and organic social media, influencer engagement, and community-based activations to spark conversation at both the personal and neighborhood level. At the center was a simple but powerful call to action: Promise to Talk. To bring the message into the physical world, we launched Green Bench OC, a highly visible, community-driven initiative placing lime green benches across Orange County as a symbol of safe space and conversation. Together, digital storytelling and on-the-ground presence reinforced a single idea: talking is the first step toward getting help.
The Results
16
increase in unaided awareness among Spanish and Vietnamese speakers
26,042
promises made to talk about mental health
25+
lime green benches installed across Orange County
The Impact
Mental health conversations are becoming more visible, more normalized, and more accessible — with communities increasingly open to starting the conversation.
