Creators 4 Mental Health taps Doctor Mike, Vivian Tu, and more to record positive messages for NYC commuters

New York City’s subway stations and trains are plastered with ads for things like cheap moving services, job placement agencies, and elder care apps. But thanks to Creators 4 Mental Health, millions of bustling daily commuters are about to get a dose of positivity as they pass through.

Content creators Doctor Mike, Vivian Tu (aka Your Rich BFF), Nimay Ndolo, Frankie Grande, and Shira Lazar are all featured in a new campaign that will put their “messages of affirmation, wisdom and hope” on various NYC transit video boards run by advertising company OUTFRONT.

OUTFRONT collaborated with Creators 4 Mental Health on the campaign concept, and its creative agency OUTFRONT Studios designed the ads New Yorkers (and many many tourists) now see around the city.

The campaign is timed for May’s Mental Health Awareness Month–and it’s important because not only is the general population facing more mental strain due to, well, everything, but creators experience an unusually high level of stress and mental issues related to their job.

A November 2025 study from Creators 4 Mental Health (which researches creator-specific wellness needs and develops corresponding support systems) showed that a whopping 89% of creators feel they don’t have access to mental healthcare from providers who understand their jobs and needs.

The study also showed creators experience high rates of anxiety, depression, and burnout; it further reported that 10% of survey respondents said they’ve had suicidal thoughts related to their work. That number is twice the typical rate for U.S. adults.

Creators’ increased mental strain is driven by things like the instant feedback loop from viewers (58% of creators said they feel their self-worth declines when content underperforms, for example), feeling out of control due to platform changes impacting their content, and financial insecurity.

Creators 4 Mental Health’s new campaign is aimed at everyone, not just creators–but this data shows that creators are intimately familiar with mental health struggles, and make empathetic spokespeople for helping others overcome challenges.

“I’m honored to be a part of this campaign, and to shine a bright light on why mental health is as important as one’s physical health,” Doctor Mike said in a statement. “All of us can do more to educate folks on the resources available, while also destigmatizing the concept of someone asking for help in the first place.”

Tu added, “Creators pride ourselves on authenticity, and there is nothing more authentic than saying, we all need to prioritize our mental health! Conversations around overall well-being allow all of us to feel better connected and less alone. Mental health is wealth!”

Lazar, who founded Creators 4 Mental Health, said the partnership between her organization and OUTFRONT “is a powerful step forward in making mental health visible in our everyday environments.”

“When messages like this show up in shared public spaces, it sends a clear signal that mental health matters, to our communities, to our culture, and to the future we’re building together,” she said.