To support Black Americans who have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, the Ad Council, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the CDC Foundation, and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) are launching a national campaign, “You Will See Me,” to inspire and empower Black Americans to wear face masks to help stop the spread of the virus. Created by 3AM, a division of Los Angeles-based Wild Card creative agency, this integrated platform features prominent Black celebrities sharing their stories to encourage everyone to see the real person behind their face mask.
Data shows Black Americans are affected by COVID-19 at higher rates due to systemic healthcare, economic, and social inequalities. Across the U.S., Black and Latino residents are three times as likely to be infected as their white neighbors, according to new CDC data which provides detailed characteristics of 640,000 infections detected in nearly 1,000 U.S. counties. Additionally, recent CDC data shows that Black and Latino people are nearly two times more likely to die from the virus as white people.
Public service spots in the campaign–including this “You Will See Me” anthem PSA directed by Bille Woodruff and Danny Yirgou via Happy Place–will be available for broadcast and digital media. Celebrities inspiring others to wear face masks in the campaign include Academy Award-winning actress Viola Davis, Olympian champion Simone Biles, The Roots members Questlove and Black Thought, sports TV personality Stephen A. Smith, TV personality Lala Anthony, gospel singer Kirk Franklin, hip hop artist Lecrae, actor Al Shearer, actor Marcus Scribner, actor Deon Cole, and former NY Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz.
“When the Ad Council asked us to partner with them and the CDC on a face mask campaign, we immediately understood the importance of this effort. Not just to stop the spread of the coronavirus within the Black community but to also encourage all Americans to see us as the people we are behind the mask,” said Tara DeVeaux, EVP and chief marketing officer of Wild Card creative agency. “‘You Will See Me’ shows we are actors, athletes, comedians, musicians but also mothers, fathers, siblings and champions for our community. We hope both messages have an impact through this campaign. That wearing a mask and seeing the person behind the mask will save lives.”
Lisa Sherman, president and CEO of the Ad Council, said, “‘You Will See Me’ is a message of inspiration and motivation to keep up the fight against the coronavirus. We know that face masks are the single most effective way we can protect others from the virus. This is a powerful and critical platform for the Black community and we’re so grateful to the team at Wild Card for creating it.”
