OLLY, the leading wellness brand known for innovative, benefit-forward supplements, partnered with professional tennis champion, activist, and mother Naomi Osaka to launch the "Do What Serves You" campaign, reinforcing the brand’s commitment to championing women’s wellness. Born from the insight that 63% of women struggle to put their own health first (source: Hologic-Gallup survey), often placing the needs of others ahead of their own, this campaign delivers a powerful message: caring for others begins with caring for yourself. Osaka has been a champion of mental health, grounding the campaign in her authentic experience balancing motherhood and her career. Launched on the first day of Mental Health Awareness Month, “Do What Serves You” was designed to encourage women to honor their minds and bodies and choose themselves without guilt.
As part of the initiative, OLLY deepened its ongoing commitment to mental health support with $1.5M in grant commitments over the next three years. The effort kicked off with a $30,000 grant to longtime partner SeekHer Foundation during Mental Health Awareness Month and expanded support to nonprofit partners including Girl Up, The National Menopause Foundation, and Postpartum Support International, helping increase access to mental health care, education, and resources for women at every stage of life.
Strategy
Since 2021, OLLY has actively supported mental health causes, working with partners and grants totaling over $1.5M. This year, the brand wanted to bring to life an authentic campaign that would call attention to the importance of mental health, rooted in relatable insights, to make conversations around women's wellness and mental health more relatable and accessible.
While OLLY makes products for the whole family, the majority of OLLY consumers are women, and so much of the brand’s social impact priorities center around women’s mental health. The brand set out to launch a campaign that not only honored women’s mental health, but one that felt authentic both to the brand and the brand’s audience. Professional tennis champion, activist, and mother Naomi Osaka has been a longtime proponent of mental health, most notably withdrawing from the French Open in 2021 to prioritize her mental well-being. While her life takes place on a larger stage, Osaka’s experience with mental health remains relatable through her honest storytelling about how it impacts her life and what changes she makes to put herself first. The “Do What Serves You” campaign is rooted in the insight that 63% of women struggle to put their own health first (source: Hologic-Gallup survey), which can take a toll, leading to stress, burnout, and a diminished ability to show up fully in their lives. For the campaign, OLLY wanted to lean into Osaka’s lived experience and highlight all the aspects of her life, highlighting both her roles as a star tennis player and a mom. The campaign is intended to encourage the audience to follow in Osaka’s footsteps and “do what serves” them by ensuring they’re putting their needs first so they can best serve themselves and others.
The campaign featured a 360-degree campaign rollout across an integrated media mix. This included an OOH takeover in NYC, with billboards in Times Square, an NYC Subway station takeover, and 50 wildposting locations across Manhattan, along with social media, OTT streaming platforms, and online video placements on YouTube. The wild postings included images of Naomi and messages like “The strongest thing I've done is prioritize my mental health" and “I didn’t get here by saying ‘yes’ to everything,” reinforcing the lessons Osaka shares in the campaign video.
As part of the initiative, OLLY deepened its ongoing commitment to mental health support with $1.5M in grant commitments over the next three years. The effort kicked off with a $30,000 grant to longtime partner SeekHer Foundation during Mental Health Awareness Month. In addition, OLLY is funding multiple programs with a slate of nonprofit partners, including Girl Up, The National Menopause Foundation, and Postpartum Support International to support access to care and education about mental health.
Over the course of the year-long partnership, Osaka will continue to collaborate with OLLY on content, campaigns, and activations informed by her personal wellness journey.
Results
OLLY set out to launch a campaign that would capture attention while still remaining grounded in a story consumers could relate to, shining a light on mental health and making conversations around women’s wellness accessible. OOH components of the campaign, including a billboard in Times Square, attracted numerous eyes, and the campaign was covered by top media outlets like People, Sports Illustrated, and more. Additionally, Osaka penned an op-ed for Fortune, sharing her own perspective on what it means to protect mental health as well as moments where she made the decision to step back and put her needs first. The op-ed has a resounding impact, with her candor about setting boundaries picked up in publications like Fast Company.
Overall reactions to the campaign were overwhelmingly positive, showing that consumers are deeply connected with both OLLY’s mission and Naomi’s story. Comments on OLLY’s social post about the donation to the SeekHer Foundation showed appreciation for OLLY’s dedication to supporting key mental health organizations. The response reinforced that centering the campaign around Mental Health Awareness Month resonated with OLLY's audience, demonstrating that authentic, purpose-driven storytelling continues to drive meaningful engagement.
