How brands are finding new ways to talk about athletes’ mental health

Brands have more than a physical attraction to athlete partners today. Several marketers in recent weeks have unveiled campaigns built around the mental challenges of sport. The efforts from Powerade, Corona and others are meant to destigmatize mental health in athletics and win loyalty from consumers who see the practice as humanizing athletes and not just cheering for them—a key to reaching Gen Z consumers. While the tactic is not entirely new—in 2021 multiple brands publicly sided with Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka as they faced mental health challenges, for instance—marketers are finding new ways to express their support and backing them with ads and initiatives. Read Ad Age’s Best of 2024 stories here Coca-Cola’s Powerade brand and Anheuser-Busch InBev’s Corona Cero have separately introduced contractual provisions meant to support the mental health of athletes representing them, for instance, while apparel brand Rhone’s recently introduced “Head in the Game” campaign uses pro athletes to elevate understanding of mental wellness. Such programs come as athletes are under intense pressure to perform, and many are relying on brand deals to get by. “The growing focus on mental health in sports reflects an important shift in the dialog about the type of support athletes want and need,” Matrona Filippou, president, global hydration, sports and tea at Coca-Cola Co., said in emailed remarks. “Any brand that partners with athletes should acknowledge the immense pressures they face, not just physically, but mentally.” ‘The Athletes Code’ Earlier this year, the Ad Council debuted a spot showing how pro athletes used routines to help them handle stress and anxiety. And the NFL featured league players in a Super Bowl spot to raise awareness of teen mental health issues. Powerade is doing its part by recharging its two-year-old “Pause is Power” campaign with “The Athletes Code,” a contractual provision allowing athletes to pause their partnership commitments with the brand in order to focus on their mental well-being without losing their sponsorship. The code addresses the issue of athletes under pressure to perform who cannot take a break from their sport at the risk of losing their brand deals. The program formally kicks off today with a brand film featuring Alex Morgan, the Olympic gold medalist and World Cup soccer champion, alongside Powerade-backed athletes including South African swimmer Tatjana Smith, South African soccer player Linda Motlhalo and Brazilian Paralympic swimmer Douglas Matera. The provision has been added to each of their contacts, Coca-Cola said. “The Athletes Code” was created by Coca-Cola’s dedicated agency WPP Open X, led by Ogilvy and supported by Burson, EssenceMediacom, Hogarth, Village Marketing and VML. The film and supporting creative was developed by Ogilvy New York, and directed by Let It Rip Pictures director Babak Khoshnoud. The social-based promotion will run on YouTube along with posts on the social pages of Powerade athletes and a dedicated Powerade hub. “For Powerade, it was important to understand how we could best support all our athlete partners, while also acknowledging the unique set of circumstances they face,” Filippou said. “The Athletes Code is our way of empowering all athlete partners to take a pause if they ever need to focus on their mental health—and giving them the autonomy to decide when and how to step back.” A similar program was launched last month by Corona Cero, the nonalcoholic beer brand that is an Olympic sponsor. The “Relaxation Clause” extends the contracts of Corona Cero athletes by at least one week, in a move meant to encourage moments of rest and balance between high performance and well-being, according to the Brazilian agency Jogo. The plan also aligns with Corona Cero’s brand, which promotes a balanced lifestyle, including time for relaxation, Jogo said. Developed initially with Brazilian surfers, the “Relaxation Clause” is now part of endorsement contracts for athletes including British cyclist Evie Richards, Chilean volleyball star Marco Grimalt, Columbian BMX champion Mariana Pajón and the gold-medal winning swimmer Smith, who is a recipient of brand deals—and now mental health benefits—from both Corona Cero and Powerade. ‘Head in the Game’ Promises that athletic equipment can make you run faster and jump higher rarely work in today’s marketing environment, according to Ben Checketts, co-founder and creative director of the athletic apparel brand Rhone. Focusing instead on the intersection of physical and mental well-being struck a resonant chord with Rhone’s consumers and helped the brand cut unique space in the competitive athleisure marketplace, he said. While exercise and fitness are important to Rhone’s target customer, “he’s not just consumed with being a performance athlete,” Checketts said (Rhone started as a menswear company, and added womenswear early this year). “One very specific part of his life is taking care of his physical body, but he is also trying to be a better husband, a better father, a better co-worker. And a lot of that starts in the mind.” Rhone broke a new campaign last month called “Head in the Game” that plays on the common sports expression—often a negative sentiment (get your head in the game) used when someone isn’t performing their best. The brand worked with creative agency IMA on the campaign. One ad features NBA player Kevin Love; another shows LGPA players Lilia Vu and Lauren Hartlage (above). In the ads, players’ worlds are inhabited by flashbulbs and reporter interrogations in addition to intense concentration on the field of play. The movement to embrace mental health—a topic of discussion in the ad world for several years—introduces a vulnerable side of athletes that might not have played in the era of the macho jock but resonates today when fans crave to know more about the athletes they cheer for. “It’s part of this narrative of shifting away from just seeing athletes and celebrities as objects, as just being one-faceted, and showing that they have multiple different sides,” said Checketts. Love, a veteran, second-generation NBA player, has endured much in his career dating back to a controversial decision as a teenager to attend UCLA instead of his hometown school, Oregon. He later dealt with tensions with the front office in Minnesota, where he played for six seasons and dealt with multiple injuries. “It’s pretty remarkable that someone in his position is willing to stand up and [say] ‘I have challenges that extend beyond the court … but I am a human being. I deal with stress the same way that many human beings do,’” Checketts said of Love. One mental strain athletes face is a perception that they’re wealthy and coddled, said Filippou. “In truth, not all athletes have financial security, which can directly impact the daily challenges, expectations, and pressures they face in their journey to be the best at their sport,” she said. “For some, financial instability is what can negatively affect an athlete’s overall well-being, as the fear of losing income or sponsorships often prevents them from stepping away to address important things, namely their mental health.” “Pause is Power”—a platform neatly aligning with a chief use occasion for the sports drink brand—was inspired by Biles’ decision to withdraw from the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, Filippou said. The “‘Pause is Power’ platform originated from a growing recognition in the sports world that taking time for mental health and recovery is not a sign of weakness but of strength,” Filippou said. “In a world that glorifies the ‘win at all costs’ mentality and encourages athletes to put winning about all else and by any means necessary ‘Pause in Power’ challenges those norms.” Filippou said the above ad featuring Biles, which debuted ahead of the Olympics earlier this year, elicited an emotional response from consumers. “Our comment sections were flooded with people celebrating us for ‘incredible work’ and a ‘powerful commercial,’” Filippou said. Selling more sports drinks is only part of the goal. “We look at success through the lens of how we’re supporting our athlete partners in meaningful ways. Creating a positive impact in the industry and fostering deeper brand loyalty with consumers around the world,” she said. Read more about Simone Biles’ marketing prowess Checketts said the value of Rhone’s campaign for consumers was in breaking down the barriers between athletes and fans by revealing they have the same struggles—and can look to one another for support. “The biggest thing to recognize is that everybody has challenges around mental health and questions about mental health. And the idea is, can we get everybody’s head in the game?” he said. “We use basketball a as platform to talk about it, to be open, to be vulnerable, to raise awareness around mental health challenges and support your teammates, because everybody’s your teammate in this regard.” Become an All Access subscriber Get access to exclusive resources including Leading National Advertisers, World’s Largest Advertisers, Agency Report, Agency Review Tracker and TV Pricing Report. Click here

How brands are finding new ways to talk about athletes’ mental health

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