The viral Ice Bucket Challenge resurfaces to raise awareness for mental health
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It's been over a decade since celebrities, brands and everday people were posting videos of themselves on the internet being doused with buckets of ice to raise awareness about ALS.
Driving the news: Students from the University of South Carolina revived the trend last month in support of mental health.
- Thus far, the 2025 Ice Bucket Challenge has raised more than $322,000 for Active Minds, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting youth mental health awareness.
- According to Active Minds, its site has seen a 922% increase in traffic since the launch of the campaign.
The big picture: Former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy declared the mental health crisis a top public health concern in America, particularly among young people.
- Employers have also prioritized mental health in the workplace after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Zoom in: In the PR industry, high burnout rates are consistent across those working for brands and within agencies, as well as across seniority levels, according to a recent Muck Rack survey.
- 75% of those who work in agencies report high stress, most commonly describing stress levels at an 8 out of 10.
- Meanwhile, 71% of those who work in-house report high stress levels, with 6 being the most common rating.
Between the lines: Aside from awareness, nostalgic marketing campaigns like the Ice Bucket Challenge are also ripe for virality.
- Yes, but: Brands like McDonald's, Pillsbury and KFC participated in the 2014 ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, but we have yet to see any major brands jump on this trend.
đź’ Eleanor's thought bubble: I hereby nominate the internet's favorite brand mascot, Duolingo's Duo the owl.
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