McCann Worldgroup: "Sound It Out" Promotes Mental Health for Middle Schoolers with New Music from KAMAUU, Tobe Nwigwe, Lauren Jauregui, Empress Of

When your child can’t find the words, help them find the lyrics. Today, the national Sound It Out campaign launches with a new album and resources to help parents and caregivers have meaningful conversations about emotional wellbeing with their middle schoolers. The songs will be available across all major streaming platforms and can be heard on the campaign website at SoundItOutTogether.org, which also offers free expert-vetted resources to guide conversations.

The campaign—a collaboration between the Ad Council and Pivotal Ventures, an investment and incubation company created by Melinda Gates—comes at a time when many young people are struggling with isolation and stress caused by the pandemic, on top of the normal pressures of growing up. Sound It Out places an emphasis on reaching parents and caregivers in Black and Hispanic/Latinx communities, which often face the additional trauma of systemic racism and greater challenges in accessing the support they need. Songs, videos and resources will be available in English and Spanish.

Inspired by the insight that music can help unlock conversations between middle schoolers and their parents or caregivers, the campaign features exclusive new music and interviews from recording artists KAMAUU, Tobe Nwigwe, Lauren Jauregui and Empress Of. The artists participated in intimate conversations with middle schoolers and their caregivers, facilitated by mental health experts, and translated the kids’ emotions and experiences into songs.

Public service advertisements (PSAs) for the campaign, developed by McCann with support from Casanova//McCann, EGAMI Group and Mass Appeal, will appear nationwide in time and space donated by the media. The campaign also features a music video for KAMAUU’s song “Howie and the Howl,” directed by Jared Malik Royal and featuring the work of prominent artist Hebru Brantley, whose iconic work elevates the narrative of Black heroes. An intentional collective of diverse creatives brought the campaign to life, including the photographer, video director, director of photography, editor, producers, mix engineers and stylists.

Media agency UM is providing pro bono media strategy and outreach. Bustle Digital Group, Facebook, Pinterest, TikTok and ViacomCBS are among the media platforms that will support the campaign with donated media. Additionally, ViacomCBS will provide custom content and content integration as part of their ongoing focus on tackling mental health crisis through media and storytelling.

The exclusive album will be available to stream across Amazon Music, Apple Music, deezer, Google Play, iTunes, Pandora, SoundCloud, Spotify, Tidal and YouTube. Caregivers can also access the campaign videos, songs and resources on Sound It Out channels on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.


AdCouncil.lnk.to/SoundItOut

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