Redefine the mental health narrative

Today, young Black men are at higher risk for depression, anxiety, and other mental health struggles than their non-Black peers–but are less likely to seek treatment. Yet too many young men, specifically young Black men, grow up hearing the message that being a man requires building a wall around your emotions and hiding away feelings of fear, depression, or anxiety. This message is especially prevalent in a youth sports culture where an emphasis on mental toughness often suggests that talking about mental health is a sign of weakness. It is also reinforced by broader cultural narratives shown across media and entertainment today. 

BPI developed a partnership with UNINTERRUPTED, the award-winning athlete storytelling brand, within The SpringHill Company, founded by LeBron James and Maverick Carter, to help us tap into Black cultural hubs and develop the core content for a powerful unscripted series.

Together, we created and launched INVISIBLE GAME, an unscripted series featuring intergenerational conversations with top athletes like Trae Young, Fred Richard, and Iman Shumpert about life, mental health, and staying on top of their game. The series is the centerpiece of a culture change campaign for The Jed Foundation, who approached BPI about finding creative new ways to help families and communities support youth who are struggling with their mental health.

To complement the main series, two shorts per episode were shared on YouTube and social media platforms, delivering key messages and drawing attention to the longer episodes. Key marketing channels included media outreach, organic social media, email campaigns, paid digital marketing, and partner marketing. A dedicated microsite, Invisible.Game, was created to host the episodes alongside JED’s mental health resources, offering viewers tools to navigate their feelings, practice self-care, and explore the themes and actions from the episodes.