There’s an urgent need for mentorship-- one in three kids in the U.S. are growing up without an adult to support them as they navigate their futures. During the pandemic, 20 percent of youth served by BBBS lost contact with an important adult in their lives. There are now over 30,000 kids on the BBBS waitlist for a mentor and the majority are boys of color.
In response, BBBSA, the network of 230+ BBBS agencies across the country, the NFL’s Inspire Change initiative, and diverse celebrity supporters joined forces to activate The Big Draft, an annual national volunteer recruitment and awareness campaign encouraging volunteers, particularly men of color, to sign up as Bigs and create greater equity for BIPOC youth through the power of mentorship.
The Big Draft had two primary objectives:
Boost volunteer recruitment – To recruit 10,000 Bigs in 60 days, particularly men of color. This was an ambitious goal, as it was a significant increase from last year’s goal of 6,000 Bigs in 60 days.
Increase brand awareness -- To increase visibility among new audiences, while establishing cultural relevance for BBBS, a 100+ year historic brand, and the critical need for mentorship.
In alignment with the shared vision of its partners, the campaign aimed to ignite a movement that strengthens communities and creates greater access to opportunity for youth that need it the most.
Plan of Action
The Big Draft leveraged one of the most powerful cultural platforms in the U.S.—the NFL—to bring visibility to the need for male mentors of color. By aligning with high profile NFL events like the Super Bowl and the Draft, the campaign aimed to inspire men of color to become mentors. The campaign strategically connected BBBSA’s mission with key NFL milestones and narratives around NFL players’ personal journeys, underscoring the universal relevance of mentorship across earned media, digital platforms, experiences, and beyond.
Execution and Key Features
To maximize visibility, BBBSA kicked off the campaign at the Super Bowl, which in 2024 was the most-watched program in U.S. television history. Six NFL players became campaign Ambassadors, helping to weave the message of mentorship into the national dialogue. Throughout the campaign, these players shared and amplified stories about mentorship, connecting with a diverse football fanbase that reflected the campaign’s target demographic.
To embed authentic mission moments, youth (“Littles”) were paired with NFL players for “Big for a Day” experiences at signature Super Bowl events, such as Radio Row, while other youth served as “Little” Reporters. One youth reporter asked Usher an interview question at the Halftime Show Press Conference about what it means to be a Black male role model. BBBSA mobilized additional partnerships with Old Spice and Centene to create access and opportunities for these experiences. These experiences were captured in real-time, yielding engaging content for social media, shared across BBBSA’s as well as media partners TikTok for Good, and Nickelodeon’s platforms.
BBBSA also extended the campaign to its network of over 230 local agencies nationwide, providing toolkits and training to ensure consistent messaging and execution of the campaign locally. Many agencies held events celebrating newly recruited mentors as their “draft picks”. NFL grants were awarded to 23 agencies to host local flag football games to connect mentors with waitlisted youth.
The NFL player Ambassadors were leading voices across national earned media, including GMA3, NFL Network, and other media platforms. NY Jets player Solomon Thomas joined BBBSA CEO Artis Stevens, the first Black CEO in the organization’s 120-year history, for an interview on GMA3 to discuss the impact of mentorship. These interviews, along with localized efforts and digital content, ensured that the campaign’s reach extended beyond just football fans, to broader audiences. The cohesive integrated storytelling, backed by influential voices and compelling youth experiences, made mentorship a relevant, urgent, and culturally embedded topic throughout the campaign and beyond.
Challenges
One of the biggest challenges, identified through audience insights, was the public perception that mentoring required significant time or expertise, which deterred potential mentors. The campaign addressed this by emphasizing that even small mentorship moments can make a big impact. By reframing mentorship as accessible and approachable, showing that small acts, like tossing a football or sharing career advice over pizza, could impact a young person’s life. This core concept was consistently woven throughout the campaign and through all campaign creative to dismantle these perceived barriers.
The campaign yielded 14,891 new volunteer sign-ups, surpassing the goal of 10,000 volunteers by 49% , demonstrating the campaign’s effectiveness in encouraging more volunteers, particularly men of color, to become mentors.
The campaign’s integration with NFL cultural moments, such as Super Bowl and Radio Row, amplified visibility. Across social media channels, BBBSA achieved high engagement and reach, particularly on LinkedIn (engagement rates of 4-8%) and Facebook (54,000+ impressions), with video content driving the highest engagement. NFL event videos, especially those featuring youth experiences and mentorship stories, garnered over 10,000 views.
Six diverse NFL players were engaged as Ambassadors:
Micah Parsons, Cowboys
Fred Warner, 49ers
Chidobe Awuzie, Titans
Kelvin Beachum, Cardinals
Solomon Thomas, Jets
Rachaad White, Buccaneers
Key partnerships with influencers elevated our message, and their interviews on national media outlets—such as Good Morning America and SiriusXM—extended our reach. BBBSA garnered close to 2M media impressions, while paid media efforts garnered 12.1 million impressions, with a 112% year-over-year increase in click-through rates on TikTok.
Flag football events across 23 agencies engaged 500 waitlisted youth and resulted in 200 new mentor matches, further highlighting the campaign’s impact at the local level. A best practice guide was created, with 90% of participating agencies planning to host another game within 6-12 months.
The campaign was a success as BBBS not only surpassed recruitment goals but also established lasting partnerships and community engagement, ensuring a strong foundation for future growth.
