The campaign's producers include Brian Holdsworth, creative director at Holds Worth Design, which was hired to produce the campaign by the Archdiocese of Edmonton.
"The campaign was launched as a direct response to Canada's embrace of euthanasia and assisted suicide as a solution to suffering," Holdsworth told CNA March 17. "The Supreme Court struck down laws that protected the vulnerable from this reality so now, we're doing our best to promote a message that encourages hope, human dignity and value, and courage in the face of adversity."
The campaign has been active for about two months. Holdsworth said organizers are happy with its achievements so far, given its small budget.
Holdsworth said the Archdiocese of Edmonton "wanted a way to respond to what was happening in our country and asked my company how to best approach the subject and this is what we proposed."
"We are hoping that other people who experience suffering can be encouraged by that kind of witness and make whatever decisions they can to find help and authentic hope," he said.
Organizers felt compelled to create the campaign "as an act of mercy towards those who are now at risk of being persuaded to end their lives," he said. Canada's culture has set a precedent that says suicide is "an acceptable solution."
Holdsworth encouraged people to make themselves available for someone who is "struggling to find hope."
"Visit them, invest in their lives, invest in your relationship with them. I think this is especially true for those who are isolated, sick, and elderly," he said.
"These groups are, surprisingly, not described very often when the media talks about suicide. We hear about stories of young people because it's such a tragedy, but never the widow who died alone. The elderly are the most at risk and I believe that's because so many of them are so tragically lonely."
The campaign refers people in a suicidal crisis or emotional distress to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, available in the U.S. and Canada. The hotline is available through the website suicidepreventionlifeline.org or by phone at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
Kevin J. Jones is a senior staff writer with Catholic News Agency. He was a recipient of a 2014 Catholic Relief Services' Egan Journalism Fellowship.