A new social spot called ‘Wellness is a Beautiful Resistance’ rolled out on 18 February and continued the joint ‘A Beautiful Resistance’ initiative between Reebok and the Boston Globe which is a celebration of black joy, black culture, black wellness and black lives.
Exploring the perspective that racism is a public health crisis and that the wellbeing of black people is itself part of an anti-racist future, the latest video in the initiative features actor, activist and Reebok athlete ambassador Taylor Rae Almonte.
Almonte once suffered from shame when it came to self-care, but then she co-founded Activ-ism: an anti-racism wellness program.
The film is structured as an interview with Boston Globe culture columnist Jeneé Osterheldt and was conceived and created by Osterheldt and Globe Staffer Caitlin Healy, Sebastian Jimenez and Steven Eloiseau.
The spot was deployed across the digital and social channels of both the sportswear brand and the newspaper.
It is one of three short films, accompanied by a set of other stories running on Globe.com and across the Globe and Reebok’s social media platforms – with a primary platform focus on the brands’ Instagram and YouTube channels.
The collaboration sets out ‘to embrace audiences and build community through an innovative digital partnership’.
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Linked to Black History Month, the joint sports apparel brand and news organisation multimedia initiativeis built around an online film series from Boston Globe culture columnist Jeneé Osterheldt.
It sets out to amplify the truths of black people and other people of colour living as their fullest selves in a region, in a country which is set up to keep them from doing just that and drives home the message that their joy itself is a form of resistance.
The multi-channel project was initially teased towards the end of 2020 before official launching on 9 February and is produced in partnership with the Globe and Reebok and aims to leverage the power of journalism and storytelling in celebration of “Black Joy. Black Wellness. Black Futures.”
“As we celebrate Black History month, it’s important to ensure we have a Black future. It’s essential to tell our stories of joy, of wellness, of life,” said Jeneé Osterheldt, culture columnist at The Boston Globe and founder of ‘A Beautiful Resistance’. “Collaborating with Reebok to focus on wellness as a form of resistance, too? It’s powerful. Celebrate Black lives while we’re here.”
“We are thrilled to work with such a talented and dynamic storyteller whose work is uniquely focused on celebrating and providing rich stories around Blackness and Black culture,” said Christopher Hunt, Reebok Global Marketing Manager. “This partnership gives Reebok the unique opportunity to amplify powerful voices and lend support to important causes while creating and cultivating inclusive spaces for Black and Brown communities.”
“We’re excited to partner with The Boston Globe for this unique and powerful celebration of Black joy and wellness,” said Caroline Machen, VP of Global Marketing at Reebok. “These stories are not only relatable, but help create context, as well, around experiences that aren’t always shared. These aren’t only stories about triumph, they celebrate love, empathy and compassion for yourself and others.”
Interestingly, the campaign launched in the very same week that parent company Adidas confirmed that Reebok was up for sale.
Links:
A Beautiful Resistance
www.globe.com/abeautifulresistance
Boston Globe
Reebok
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