The spot is the brainchild of Columbus-based Tullamore D.E.W. Irish whiskey Brand Ambassador Roisin Barry.
She says it is a reminder to drink responsibly and carries a message of hope during the coronavirus and beyond.
“Everyone's a little bit more alone,” said Barry, who hails from Cork, Ireland.
Barry has been staying in Dayton with a friend and is one of the voices heard reciting a poem as video clips of Dayton’s Oregon District and downtown are shown.
She wrote the following on her Facebook page about the video she created with Dayton videographer Jesse Lee Brown:
“I wrote this poem to encourage people to check in with their loved ones and ask them how they're doing, especially during the pandemic, and also to remind people who are suffering from mental health issues right now (or anytime) that it's OK not to be OK, and to reach out and things can get better. While we all want lock-down to end and get back to spending time together, we need to look out for each other as well.”
May is Mental health Awareness Month.
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Barry said it was fitting that the spot was filmed in Dayton, a city that has seen more than its share of tragedy in recent years, including the 2019 Memorial Day tornadoes and Oregon District mass shooting that left 10 dead.
The video that includes footage of the Dayton funk mural, Neon movie theater and Oregon District sign, among other things, was recorded before and after the state’s now retired stay-at-home order.
The video is sponsored by Tullamore D.E.W. and the clothing line HUH (How’s Ur Head?).
HUH makes donations to local and international mental health organizations with the sale of its hoodies.
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