Simone Biles, Stephen A. Smith Help Lead Covid-19 National Safety Campaign
Wednesday, August 19, 2020 at 10:46AM NYSJ Sports-Entertainment Business News Service
August 19, 2020: A roster of athletes and celebrities, including Olympic icon Simone Biles, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, Victor Cruz, Lala Anthony, Viola Davis and The Roots members Questlove and Black Thought, are among those featured in a new multi-media campaign, “You Will See Me.”
The national PSA is intended to “inspire and empower Black Americans — who have been disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus — to wear face masks to help stop the spread of COVID-19.”
The campaign —including "You Will See Me" TV, digital, social media and a dedicated Web site with information — is a combined effort from the Ad Council, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the CDC Foundation and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
It was created by 3AM, a division of Los Angeles-based entertainment agency Wild Card Creative Group,
Martin Luther King III, along with his wife Arndrea Waters King and their daughter Yolanda Renee King, are serving as community campaign ambassadors and spokespersons.
A study released by the CDC in July found that "wearing face masks has significantly decreased the propensity to spread the virus."
The percentage of Black Americans who report wearing a mask at all times when leaving their homes is 16% higher than the percentage of all Americans wearing a face mask at all times (79% compared to 63%), according to the CDC.
"'You Will See Me' is a message of inspiration and motivation to keep up the fight against the coronavirus,” Lisa Sherman, president and CEO for the Ad Council, said via the organization.
“We know that face masks are the single most effective way we can protect others from the virus."
According to Sherman, "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."
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