The public service announcement uses a public
experiment to shed light on the impact of mentors on youth
ROCKFORD, Mich., Sept. 19,
2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Merrell®, the world's
leading hike and outdoor footwear brand, today released a public
service announcement in partnership with Big Brothers Big
Sisters of America (BBBSA) to address the critical need for
mentorship and inspire volunteer sign-ups nationwide. The public
service announcement is part of BBBSA's "It Takes Little to be
Big" national campaign that launched this past week on
Sept. 15. In 2021, BBBSA and Merrell
joined forces to form a multi-year partnership that harnesses the
power of being outside.
One in three kids in America are growing up without a sustained,
adult mentor in their life, according to MENTOR: The National
Mentoring Agency. Today, more than 30,000 youth are on the waiting
list ready to be matched to a mentor ("Big") through BBBS. The
biggest hurdles of potential mentors are the perceived time and
expertise required – inspiring the new BBBSA campaign and Merrell's
public service announcement.
"In the third year of our partnership with Big Brothers Big
Sisters of America, we wanted to solidify our support for the
organization by being part of this very special moment with the
launch of their campaign," said Merrell Marketing Manager
Jessenia Flores. "We believe in the
importance of mentorship and are passionate about getting children
the mentors they need and getting them outdoors."
Merrell conducted a social experiment to prove how little it
takes to make an impact as a Big. Disguised as a parks and
recreation commercial, Merrell casted six actors and instructed
them to act as if it were just an ordinary afternoon in the park.
Behind the scenes, Merrell worked with the Big Brothers Big Sisters
of Tampa Bay to help coordinate
and cast six real BBBS mentees ("Littles") to act as their onscreen
co-stars who were in on it all along. After matching the Littles'
favorite outdoor activities with the actors' interests, Merrell set
things in motion. The Littles were instructed to approach the
unsuspecting actors for help or to ask to join in on their outdoor
activities. The intent was to see if people were willing to spare
the 10 minutes it can potentially take to make an impact as a
mentor.
"We set out to show the world just how little it takes to make
an impact on a child's life by making them a mentor without even
realizing it," said Flores.
Following the interaction, the child hands the stranger a
Merrell shoe box with a pair of matching shoes and a message
saying: "A little fresh air and a lot of kindness are all it takes
to be a Big. Thanks for being that to me." The video demonstrates
the small yet transformative power of human connection that can be
found in mentorship.
"Big Brothers Big Sisters of America's 'It Takes Little to Be
Big' campaign is redefining mentorship and challenging perceptions
of the time and expertise required to be a mentor," said
Adam Vasallo, Chief Marketing
Officer at BBBSA. "During campaign development, one of the elements
we loved about 'It Takes Little to be Big' is that it represents a
unifying platform that our partners, like Merrell, can be inspired
by and empowered to activate in support of our shared core values.
This new PSA created by Merrell showcases the importance of outdoor
equity and how experiencing everyday outdoor activities together
can unlock curiosity and aspiration for young people – and adults
too."
Upon watching the video, users can click through to a landing
page for an easy way to sign up to be a mentor.
The public service announcement was filmed, produced and edited
by LiveTribe in Tampa, Fla., where
BBBSA's headquarters is located.
Merrell and BBBSA remain committed to their shared goal of
breaking down the barriers that many youth face in accessing the
outdoors and are taking action so all young people can experience
the many mental and physical benefits associated with open air
activities. This impactful partnership also brings awareness to the
need for inclusive outdoor experiences, particularly for youth who
do not have equitable access to nature, natural parks, or outdoor
spaces.
For more information on Merrell, please visit
merrell.com. Visit merrell.com/BBBS to learn more and
bebignow.org become a Big today.
ABOUT MERRELL:
Merrell exists to share the
simple power of being outside and is committed to building an
inclusive and sustainable environment for future generations to
enjoy. As the global leader in outdoor active footwear with
the Moab hiking boot and Jungle
Moc, Merrell is focused on merging performance,
styling, and comfort to empower all people to confidently explore
the outdoors. The brand was recently named Footwear News' 2022
Brand of the Year for promoting a more diverse vision of the
outdoors. Visit Merrell.com or follow us
on social @Merrell. Merrell is a division
of Wolverine World Wide, Inc. (NYSE: WWW), one of the world's
leading marketers and licensors of branded casual, active
lifestyle, work, outdoor sport, athletic, children's and uniform
footwear and apparel.
ABOUT BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS OF AMERICA:
Founded in 1904, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America is the largest
and most experienced youth mentoring organization in the United States. The mission of Big Brothers
Big Sisters of America is to create and support one-to-one
mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth.
Big Brothers Big Sisters' evidence-based approach is designed to
create positive youth outcomes, including educational success,
avoidance of risky behaviors, higher aspirations, greater
confidence, and improved relationships. Big Brothers Big Sisters
has over 230 local agencies serving more than 5,000 communities
across all 50 states. For more information, visit www.bbbs.org.
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SOURCE Merrell