Dive Brief:
- Healthcare provider Kaiser Permanente and basketball player Stephen Curry are partnering for a campaign to spark awareness about mental health, according to a press release.
- A 30-second TV spot debuted on April 14 during the 2018 NBA Playoffs. It depicts the Golden State Warrior player at both low and high points throughout his life to show how mental resilience has helped the NBA MVP and All-Star grow as a person and athlete. One scene shows him getting knocked down on a playground as a child and pulling himself back up. Another scene shows him learn about humility as he's drafted by the Warriors.
- The effort builds on Kaiser Permanente's broader "Find Your Words" campaign to emphasize mental health and wellness and encourage those facing depression or other conditions to seek help from friends, family or physicians. Curry has partnered with the provider on public health efforts since 2016.
Dive Insight:
Kaiser Permanente's message, "Train your mind to be resilient," aligns with the growing concern over mental health and wellness, as more consumers look to integrate holistic health approaches in their daily lives. These issues are especially important to young consumers like Gen Zers, as 94% say they participate in health and lifestyle activities, per a PSFK survey. Concern over mental health and well-being has lead 34% of the age group to permanently leave social media and 64% to take a break from the platforms, as 41% say social media makes them feel anxious, sad or depressed.
The NBA is responding to consumers' interest in health and wellness by establishing partnerships with organizations, including Kaiser Permanente, to promote overall well-being and engage health-conscious consumers. The league recently made a deal with guided meditation app Headspace to give its players and employees subscriptions to the service. The NBA and Headspace will also produce special content for consumers and feature it on the meditation app and the NBA's social channels, which have more than 1.4 billion likes and followers. Marketers have found that this type of educational content that helps consumers live fuller lives offers a prime opportunity to reach Gen Z and millennial audiences through platforms they're already on, such as social media and mobile apps.
The NBA reported that this season has seen the highest TV viewership in five years, along with an increase in revenue. TV viewership this season is up 8% so far over last year, while TV ad revenue during the regular season was up 11% from last year, hitting $698.6 million this season.
