JanSport Tackles Mental Health Awareness For Its March Madness Campaign
As part of its March Madness campaign, JanSport is utilizing social media sites like Instagram and TikTok to highlight mental health as the brand is leveraging its NIL talent.
Several NCAA athletes have been partnered with the brand, including Deja Kelly from UNC, Shaqir O’Neal from Texas Southern, Flau’jae Johnson from LSU, Sean McCurdy from Faulkner University, Jada Williams from Arizona, and Dusty Stromer from Gonzaga, in an effort to raise awareness of the importance of maintaining a healthy mental state during stressful times at college.
JanSport’s campaign aims to bolster the significance of mental health awareness and will be featured across Instagram and TikTok platforms, according to Alex Reveles, Vice President of Global Brand Management at JanSport. Athletes participating in the NCAA March Madness tournament will provide insights into their daily routines, showcasing activities such as attending classes, practicing, and engaging in grounding practices like meditation and reading. Throughout the campaign, they will emphasize the importance of allocating time for mental health prioritization.
“While JanSport packs are made for everybody, we focus our efforts on our Gen Z audience. Young consumers, specifically Gen Z, have unique purchasing values and are willing to act upon them,” said Reveles. “They seek brands that are out to create change with them, not just for them and with Instagram and TikTok being the most popular and engaging platforms for Gen Z, we are able to reach our core audience in an authentic and natural way that is native to them with this campaign.”
In crafting this year’s campaign, Reveles sought out a diverse and inclusive array of student athletes known for their strong rapport with their audiences and significant influence within the student athlete community. The chosen student athletes resonate closely with the brand’s overarching mission and have openly advocated for mental health awareness on their platforms.
Through this initiative, the brand endeavors to champion their mental health endeavors while enabling them to share authentic, relatable content with their followers. Additionally, the campaign provides a platform for discussing the vital importance of maintaining mental well-being amidst the heightened stress associated with this time of year.
Revelles said the focus for this campaign is on collegiate athlete partners who will provide peer-to-peer support and emphasize the importance of prioritizing mental health among fellow students. Through their platforms, they are tasked with sharing personal experiences, stories, and daily routines, emphasizing the importance of mental health.
“We hope the content shared is relatable for all students and that they ultimately feel empowered to take the necessary steps each day to ensure their mental health takes precedence no matter what life may throw their way,” he said. “As a brand, we want to shine light on prioritizing one’s mental health and provide our Gen Z consumers with the resources and tools they need to reduce the stigma and better themselves.”
Since publishing the ad spots on its TikTok and Instagram accounts this month, the brand has observed over 1 million organic views combined. It is anticipated that this figure will continue to grow as the tournament season progresses.
As of 2022, 42% of Gen Z young adults aged 19 to 24 reported that they had been diagnosed with mental health conditions, according to Harmony’s survey. Among these individuals, 26% received their diagnosis during the COVID-19 pandemic, which exacerbated mental health challenges for many individuals across different age groups.
There are also other brands that are advertising around the March Madness tournament, such as RITZ and Powerade. These brands aim to offer sports fans a more interactive experience through the use of second screens so they can connect with Gen Z with their products.
