Wellness isn't just for white people in Droga5's spot for meditation app Shine

A mental health crisis is brewing, not only for the millions of Americans stuck indoors or struggling to balance work and childcare duties, but also Black Americans and other people of color confronted by the resurgent specter of white supremacy.

Ahead of Global Mental Health Day this weekend, self-care app Shine is launching its first ad campaign, starting with a national TV spot from Droga5 that proudly wears inclusion on its sleeve. Founded by Marah Lidey, a Black woman, and Naomi Hirabayashi, a half-Japanese woman, Shine is meant to fill an underserved space, geared toward the mental health and wellness needs of marginalized groups.

The spot speaks to that goal, featuring a diverse cast in a plethora of meditative spaces and poses, some repeating the message of reinforcement coming from their apps.

“Recent events, including racial injustices and protests, and the Pandemic’s economic impact, have disproportionately affected Black Americans and created a heightened sense of anxiety for many,” said Lidey in a statement. “Yet we know, historically, only one in three Black or African American adults who need mental health care receive it, compared with 43% of the US average.”

The spot is directed by Christian Padron via Scheme Engine, with director of photography Ryan Marie Helfant, who served in the same role for Beyonce’s “Black is King.”