Since its founding 10 years ago, Rhone has worked to destigmatize mental health issues. And now, in its largest initiative to date, the brand is working with NBA All-Star Kevin Love on a campaign designed to raise awareness of both mental and physical well-being.
The campaign, which kicks off on Tuesday, is intended to inspire viewers to prioritize their mental health. Love, a power forward for the Miami Heat, experienced a public panic attack during a game and since then has been open about his challenges with anxiety. To address the issues, he established a nonprofit organization, the Kevin Love Fund, to inspire people to create equity between mental and physical health.
“Kevin was the first athlete I remember being open about his challenges with mental health,” said Nate Checketts, chief executive officer of Rhone. “From an outside perspective he appears to have everything,” but under the surface, Love was “honest and raw” about his struggles to perform at the highest levels of sport.
That connected with Checketts who noted that acknowledging anxiety and insecurities is especially hard for men, the primary market for the activewear-turned-lifestyle brand.
“Great brands need to stand for something,” Checketts said. “That’s a lesson I learned from my parents.” His father works in professional sports and his mother is a family therapist. So addressing any mental health challenges was integrated into his life as a child and he brought that same mission into Rhone.
“We refer to it as mental fitness,” Checketts said. He said athletes are trained to ignore aches and pains in their quest to “go harder, go faster, be stronger,” but oftentimes they would be better served with addressing potential injuries before they become career-threatening.
The same goes with mental health. “You’ve got to train the mind as well,” he said. “We’ve seen tangible results when we make it OK to talk about things.”
As a result, partnering with Love was a natural. “I cannot think of a better athlete than Kevin,” he said.
“I’m proud to partner with Rhone in our shared commitment to shining a light on the importance of mental health,” said Love. “Physical fitness has always been a priority for athletes, but mental fitness is just as critical to success, both on and off the court. Together with Rhone, we’re working to break down the stigma around mental health and show that real strength comes from taking care of the mind and body equally.”
The NBA is also on board. Checketts said he saw Adam Silver, commissioner of the NBA, address mental health and say that in the old days, players would play cards, talk and go to dinner with their teammates when on the road. But today, they all sit alone wearing headsets and don’t leave the hotel to protect their privacy. But those habits can also lead to isolation.
“The NBA is such a progressive league in how they take care of their players’ mental health,” Checketts said.
As part of its deal with the NBA, Rhone will produce custom content for the NBA Fitness platform, an app focused on health and fitness. Checketts said the app is in its early stages and offers videos and stories that go well beyond training tips. That includes a section on Mind Health that tackles issues such as nutrition, sleep, breathwork, journaling and other ideas to improve mental health.
As part of the partnership, Rhone’s Commuter shirt, a product that offers breathability, wrinkle-resistance and stretch in a classic silhouette, will also become the Official Dress Shirt of the NBA, Checketts said. As such, Rhone will produce dress shirts featuring the NBA and individual team logos. “It’s a great gifting opportunity for players, coaches and staff,” he said.
And the shirts are also expected to appeal to the executives who attend NBA games. “More than 70 percent of season tickets are held by organizations,” Checketts said. “They use the games as opportunities for clienteling. And we want to show that you can love your team and still look sharp.”
“Rhone has introduced an innovative product and a new category for the league that fittingly supports the NBA’s active fanbase,” said Lisa Piken Koper, head of apparel and sporting goods at the NBA. “Our collaboration with Rhone stems from our shared mission in helping advance both physical and mental well-being, which we look forward to building upon through Rhone’s custom content across NBA Fitness.”
Rhone, which was founded by Nate Checketts and his brother Ben, operates 15 stores across the U.S. and earlier this year expanded into womenswear.
