Fisher Wallace Laboratories, maker of a device approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of depression, insomnia and anxiety, is promoting itself (and mental wellness in general) in an unconventional way: By lending its support to “Unhappy Happy People,” a TikTok comedy series. In doing so, the company hopes to stimulate dialogue and eliminate the stigma surrounding conversations about mental health.
“Unhappy Happy People” compiles a range of short clips in which comedians riff on their experiences with mental health. Through comedy, Fisher Wallace believes, some of the remaining barriers around discussing mental health can be eliminated.
Alexandra Gilson, VP of paid social at CMI Media Group, is bullish on the approach. “Social media is a place where we can lean in with pharma into those conversations and provide resources and support for those people who maybe are suffering silently. We can give them the help that they need,” she said.
But is a comedy series the way to do that? There is a risk, after all, of downplaying the severity of mental health issues for an impressionable audience. Gilson’s peer, SVP of CMI’s social center of excellence Josh Simon, dismissed such concerns and said that TikTok is the perfect platform to expand upon traditional dialogues around mental health.
“It isn’t like the traditional social networks,” he explained. “It has to feel authentic. That means showing real faces and making it feel less produced,” he said.
