• by Les Luchter , October 12, 2022

Online hate and cyberbullying “can cause or exacerbate anxiety and depression among young people,” says The CW Network.

So, to kick off a season-long initiative tackling what the federal government calls a mental health crisis among young Americans -- and a week after being acquired by Nexstar Media Group -- the young-skewing CW Network has partnered with nonprofit The Cybersmile Foundation to debut “Dare to Love, Defy Hate,” a 35-second public service announcement.

Starring talent from shows on The CW, the PSA will run in prime time on the network and on the net’s digital and social media platforms.

The CW also partnered with music superstar Stevie Wonder to launch an 85-second video featuring his song “Where is Our Love,” which was named the “official soundtrack” of “Dare to Love, Defy Hate.”

Both spots, produced in-house, will debut on-air on Oct. 13, a night when The CW’s prime-time schedule consists of “Walker” and “Walker Independence,” two shows that will incorporate storylines about mental health issues this season as part of the network’s initiative. Other CW shows joining the effort include “All American,” “All-American Homecoming,” “Nancy Drew” and “Superman & Lois.” “

“Dare to Love, Defy Hate” is just the beginning of what Dennis Miller, The CW’s new president, termed a partnership with U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek H. Murthy “to bring awareness and access to resources surrounding mental health to our audience while helping break the negative stigmas surrounding this topic.”

Additional PSAs addressing other areas of mental health will debut in the coming weeks, the network said.

And The CW plans to expand its efforts through collaborations with advertisers and local affiliates.

“We are currently in ongoing talks with a number of partners,” a spokesperson for The CW told Marketing Daily. “As this is a season-long initiative, it was important to launch now at the beginning of the season to create awareness for partnership opportunities throughout the year.”