Facto ME has launched “ Hey Man ”, a men’s mental health campaign that encourages men to pick up the phone, ask someone they care about how they are really doing, and listen to the answer.
Developed by the agency’s all-female team, the self-funded initiative centres on a familiar interaction with a more deliberate purpose: turning a routine catch-up into an opportunity to open up.
The campaign invites participants to call a brother, father or longstanding friend and ask: “Hey man, how are you really?”
The conversation is followed by an expression of appreciation or support, whether that is “I miss you”, “I love you” or a reminder that someone is there if they need help.
Initially scheduled to run from 1 to 30 November 2026, alongside the month’s focus on men’s health, the initiative aims to challenge the perception that speaking about personal difficulties is a sign of weakness.
For Facto ME, the objective is not simply to put men’s mental health into a social media feed, but to encourage a behaviour that viewers can repeat themselves.
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The idea grew out of the team’s concern for men in their own lives who had been dealing with overlapping pressures.
According to the agency, these included job losses, unpaid leave, the financial responsibility of supporting a partner who had lost work, bereavement and illness.
The team described noticing changes in the behaviour and mood of people around them as those pressures accumulated.
Rather than building the campaign around an abstract audience profile, Facto ME drew on those experiences to consider what might help someone start a conversation.
The agency identified a reluctance among men in its circle to discuss difficulties involving work, relationships or their personal lives.
It linked that hesitation to attitudes such as “boys don’t cry” and the belief that asking for help could be perceived as unmanly.
The campaign seeks to create a sense of community in which men feel more comfortable sharing what they are experiencing, while also encouraging friends and family to initiate contact rather than wait for someone to ask for support.
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“Hey Man” places the phone call itself at the centre of the execution.
The campaign concept specifies that calls are filmed vertically, with consent, and turned into short clips inviting viewers to make their own call. Its message is to move beyond a quick “fine” and make room for a more meaningful answer.
The video features men of different nationalities speaking different languages, reflecting the diversity of the UAE and the agency’s intention to show that personal struggles are not confined to one background or profession.
Participants include professionals, life coaches, creatives and well-known food and beverage personalities. Their varied experiences are intended to help viewers recognise either themselves or someone they know.
The primary audience is men who feel alone in what they are facing and can identify with the people in the video. The campaign also addresses those around them, including friends, relatives and people working in mental health.
That gives the creative a clear invitation to act: viewers do not have to appear in a campaign video to participate; they can begin by checking in on someone they care about.
Facto ME handled the campaign development, video editing, partner outreach and rollout, with filming…