The topic of mental health has been an important conversation during this time of social distancing. In a time when our favorite activities have been put on pause, many are wondering how they can maintain their sanity while being in the house. Actress Gabrielle Union, who has been an advocate for mental wellness, decided this is a great time to do a group check-in. Union teamed up with Budweiser in their latest PSA for a star-studded celebrity video call.
Union shared her screen with her husband, Dwayne Wade. The video call then features their friends including Issa Rae, Yvonne Orji, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Chris Bosh and Daveed Diggs. The call started off with smiles but migrated to a more serious note. Wade asks, “For real though, what’s up with everybody?” while Union adds, “You guys staying safe?” The point of the PSA is to remind friends, family, and co-workers to check up on their loved ones.
The beer brand, Budweiser, created this PSA to reach out to their audience and help them during this time. A statement from Budweiser claims, “As part of Budweiser’s PSA to encourage America to check-in and say ‘whassup’ to love ones during quarantine, we have partnered with The Salvation Army, which launched a nationwide hotline in April in response to rising levels of anxiety, uncertainty, and fear resulting from the pandemic. If you need someone to talk to, The Salvation Army has trained staff available for English and Spanish speakers every day from 9:00 AM-11:00 PM EST at 1-844-458-HOPE (4673). Callers are encouraged to leave a message if they call after hours.”
“Thanks to modern technology, we’re able to remain virtually connected in ways that otherwise we would not have been able to within the current distance-mandated climate,” Budweiser marketing chief Monica Rustgi said in a statement.