Marketing 'illness.'

Kirwan depression ads see resources stretched ... Mental health services are being stretched after a television ad campaign about depression, starring former All Black great John Kirwan, worked too well. The advertisements soared to success, largely due to Kirwan, who helped destigmatise a condition that he also suffers from, the Mental Health Commission said.

To some people who remember him it will be as the apprentice butcher who was elevated to fame through rugby, had the ball knocked out of his hands by Gregan as he was crossing the line and losing the game for NZ, of subsequent ball droppings at crucial times and then the pedestal was gone ... now Henry has endeavoured to reduce this 'I have nothing else' complex by encouraging players to continue with 'life after the game planning' beit education or other.
To others he would be seen as an all black who has subsequently coached a number of 'lower order' national teams and had absolutely no reason to become depressed.
So does this programme of advertising simply reframe depression, make it trendy, topical, "I wannabe like John depressed." There are lots of positives to be had from this .. like avoidance of what you don't want to do ... like getting sympathy for this avoidance ... like reward for indolence ....
His symptoms are never really revealed, the reasons are never really revealed - although they were/are common for our 'not achieving at anything else' sports elites and not all can become sports commentators.
Services stretched due to a mirepresentation of an 'illness' I would suspect ... well done John, jolly good marketing there ... let's just include a few more 'normals' in our definition of 'abnormal,' a few more disempowered, a few more incompetents.
'Destigmatising depresion,' nonsense, this is active marketing.