Athletes in Ad Council/Amazon Initiative Show Why the Mind Is the Real MVP

With Skylar Diggins, Laurie Hernandez and Chaunté Lowe

WNBA star Skylar Diggins, gymnast Laurie Hernandez and Olympic high jumper Chaunté Lowe open up about their mental health journeys in PSAs and an interactive online experience dubbed “The Mind Set.” The push represents an evolution of the Ad Council’s “Love, Your Mind” campaign.

“Sports fans across the country look up to athletes, and just like the rest of us, athletes need to take steps to take care of their mental health,” says Heidi Arthur, chief campaign officer at the Council, which produced the work with the Huntsman Mental Health Foundation and Amazon Ads.

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Arthur believes the trio’s stories will “show more people that it’s normal to experience challenges, and that it’s important to reach out for help. Laurie’s bravery, Skylar’s determination and Chaunté’s resilience are part of what makes each of these athletes so exceptional, physically and mentally.”

Babak Khoshnoud of Bryght Young Things directed the PSAs. “As a former D1 athlete, Babak brings his lived experience with sports and mental health to this creative project,” Arthur says. “Having been in similar shoes as the athletes starring in the campaign, he brought deep subject-matter experience and a vision to communicate this important message.”

While the PSAs get the conversation started, the interactive online experience features resources and instruction on how breathing exercises, gratitude journaling and meditation can help calm the mind. Users of Alexa or an Echo can access mental health tools via the prompt, “Make my mind the MVP.” Plus, they can listen to Amazon Music playlists inspired by the athletes.

“We’re grateful that Amazon has leveraged the full power of its ecosystem to share this message with their audience and brought such ambitious thinking to this work,” Arthur says. “Amazon also has access to a variety of audience touch points where this experience will live, including Prime Video, in the Amazon store and on the Fire TV landing page.”

Visitors who interact with three resources on the site can enter a giveaway open now through July 7 to win personal objects donated by the athletes. Diggins has provided her childhood basketball, Hernandez is offering her comeback leotard and Lowe donated her survivor bell.