New York-based functional water brand Wat-aah! announced its role as presenting sponsor of the "Songs for a Healthier America" program, which will be produced by Hip Hop Public Health (HHPH), and Washington, D.C.-based The Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA), whose honorary chairwoman is First Lady Michelle Obama.
"Songs for a Healthier America" is a multi-genre compilation album that will be accompanied by "Instant Recess," a series of 10-minute videos designed to engage the youth in physical activity. The 19-song album, which can be viewed here, features notable artists including Jordin Sparks, Ashanti, Ariana Grande, Travis Barker, Matisyahu, Ryan Beatty, Doug E Fresh, DMC from rap group RunDMC. Dr. Oz and many other celebrities also will make appearances. A soon-to-be released interlude on the album will highlight Wat-aah! and the importance of healthy hydration, according to the brand. The overall mission of the album is to encourage healthy eating, drinking and exercise to help reduce childhood obesity.
"We identified Wat-aah! as a preferred partner for this initiative because [of] their emphasis on health and creative approach to encouraging kids to preferentially drink water," said Olajide Williams, Ph.D., chief of staff of neurology at Columbia University and founder of HHPH, in a statement. "Their experience working within the school systems, wealth of influence, and core mission of fighting childhood obesity are all things that make them an ideal organization to collaborate with. We are excited to be working closely with Wat-aah! to help spread the message about this exciting new program."
Rose Cameron, chief executive officer and founder of Wat-aah!, explained the brand’s approach in a statement: "At Wat-aah!, we know that in order to engage kids and create excitement around health, we must speak to them in a way that is not boring or preachy, or else they will walk away or shut down. We need to be fun, surprising and always relevant. HHPH and PHA have created a program that does just that, and we are excited to collaborate and work with them on this effort.
Drew Nannis, chief marketing officer of PHA, added in a statement: "The goal of this campaign is to make the healthy choice the easy choice. Wat-aah! shares that goal and has continually looked for unique and, more important, fun ways to get kids moving. Their support of the launch of this project is a testament to their continued commitment to helping us end the childhood obesity epidemic."
