The Ice Bucket Challenge Reimagined: From ALS Awareness to Mental Health Advocacy
It’s been over a decade since the Ice Bucket Challenge first swept the internet, with celebrities, brands, and everyday people alike dousing themselves with ice water to raise awareness for ALS. Now, the challenge has been revived with a new cause in mind: mental health.
A New Wave of Awareness
Driving this resurgence, students from the University of South Carolina (USC) reignited the trend, focusing on mental health awareness. The 2025 Ice Bucket Challenge has raised more than $322,000 for Active Minds, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting youth mental health awareness. The impact is evident as Active Minds has reported a 922% increase in traffic to its site since the campaign's launch.
The revival comes at a crucial time. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has declared the mental health crisis a top public health concern in America, particularly among young people. The COVID-19 pandemic has further amplified the issue, leading employers to prioritize mental health in the workplace.
The PR Industry and Mental Health
The public relations (PR) industry is no stranger to stress and burnout. A recent Muck Rack survey revealed that high burnout rates are consistent across those working for brands and within agencies, as well as across seniority levels. 75% of those who work in agencies report high stress, with most describing stress levels at an 8 out of 10. Meanwhile, 71% of those who work in-house report high stress levels, with 6 being the most common rating.
The Allure of Nostalgic Marketing
Aside from raising awareness, nostalgic marketing campaigns like the Ice Bucket Challenge are ripe for virality. The challenge’s format has been adapted to raise funds for Active Minds, a nonprofit whose mission is to mobilize youth and change mental health norms. Participants pour ice water over themselves, post the videos, and nominate others to join, all while emphasizing the importance of speaking candidly about mental health.
Read also: Making the Most of College
While brands like McDonald's, Pillsbury, and KFC participated in the 2014 ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, major brands have yet to jump on this new iteration.
How the 2025 Ice Bucket Challenge Started
The 2025 version has been reignited by college students from the University of South Carolina, who hope to raise mental health awareness while helping to boost programs for students in need. What began as a small goal to raise $500 has led to another viral sensation, with celebrities again joining the fun.
The challenge originated from USC’s Active Minds club and requires participants to dump a bucket of ice water on their heads in order to raise awareness about mental health. Brinley Davis ’27, a student who participated in the challenge, said, “It was very fun and I learned about it two weeks ago from my friends at home. It’s a good way to spread awareness, [and] on campus, it’s definitely raised mental health awareness on its own.”
Drew Wasylyshyn ’26, a board member for Andover’s Active Minds Club, has been involved with the national organization since before the trend began. “A lot more people know about Active Minds and their mission now. I was looking at the USC chapter’s Instagram page over the last couple of days, and their followers went from 30,000 to 270,000. This initiative has been spreading across the nation like wildfire. It warms my heart." He continued, “I think the ultimate goal would be for more Active Minds chapters to be started nationwide, because so much attention is being drawn to this challenge and the Active Minds organization. I believe many schools that do not have Active Minds chapters will now start to realize, or some students may see it and be like, I would love to start this in my school.’ I think it’d be great.”
The #SpeakYourMIND Campaign
The Mental Illness Needs Discussion (MIND) club’s #SpeakYourMIND campaign was launched on Instagram in March. This year's challenge raises funds for Active Minds, a Washington D.C.-based nonprofit with a mission to empower youth and young adults and to change the stigma around mental health.
Read also: ABS Impact on College Baseball
The campaign surpassed $100,000 in donations and has attracted participation from high-profile figures such as former NFL players Peyton Manning and Emmanuel Sanders.
Wade Jefferson, a USC junior who founded the MIND club after losing two friends to suicide, said the campaign aims to normalize conversations around mental health and make them more accessible. Jefferson was shocked by how widely the social media trend gained traction, having initially set a modest fundraising goal of $500 while expecting it to remain confined to the USC campus. He said witnessing its viral popularity has been surreal for the students involved.
The Perspective of Active Minds
Brett Curtis, director of community fundraising and events at Active Minds, said many nonprofits have long sought a similarly effective movement. “I think fundraising professionals and nonprofits and causes have sat around tables for years trying to say, ‘What’s going to be our ice bucket challenge,’” Curtis said. “I do think there’s a little irony in that it is just the ice bucket challenge again, this time to talk about mental health.”
Curtis emphasized that it was never solely about donations for Active Minds. “Donations were always secondary,” he said. “This was a chance for us to support a group of students, and that’s always been our mission."
The ALS Association's Support
The ALS Association, which originally benefited from the 2014 challenge, has expressed support for the new effort. “We’re thrilled to see the spirit of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge live on in new forms of activism,” the ALS Association said in a statement to NBC News.
Read also: NCAA Eligibility and Redshirting
At its peak popularity, the ALS ice bucket challenge garnered widespread attention, with public figures including former President George W. Bush, Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey and Derek Jeter among those taking part. Skeptics expressed concern that the challenge’s popularity was a fleeting trend and questioned whether it would lead to sustained funding and attention for ALS research.
The Rules
It's simple. You turn on your phone to shoot a video and someone takes a bucket filled with ice and water and dumps it on your head. You then challenge other people to do it, and they do the same, and it goes on and on. Also, you include a link for donations on your social media post.
tags: #ucf #ice #bucket #challenge #explained
