NEW YORK-- January 26, 2021 -- As the world continues to battle COVID-19 and communities strive to get back to business, it is more important than ever to raise confidence in the safety of buildings and shared spaces. Today, Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez, Michael B. Jordan, Robert DeNiro, Venus Williams, Wolfgang Puck, Deepak Chopra and 17th Surgeon General Richard Carmona came together in a new integrated ad campaign to raise awareness about the importance of the WELL Health-Safety Rating, an evidence-based third-party designation to verify that a building or space has taken the necessary steps to prioritize the health and safety of their staff, visitors and other stakeholders. The ambassadors encourage people to look for buildings and spaces with the WELL Health-Safety seal on their windows or doors to feel more confident in their decision to go inside.

This national advertising campaign, a first from the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), the global authority on how we can use our buildings and communities to advance the health and well-being of the people inside, explains the importance of health and safety through building design and operations as well as organizational policy, and sheds light on what the featured ambassadors have missed most during the pandemic. From Jennifer Lopez’s family movie nights to Robert DeNiro missing a “variety in existence,” each of these cultural influencers are feeling the longing for shared connection as much as the rest of us, even beyond the changes to their respective industries and day-to-day lives.

“This is more than an awareness campaign; it’s meant to ignite a movement. These ambassadors and cultural influencers are partnering with us because they truly believe in the mission - and how critical it is - to make buildings and shared spaces center on health going forward,” said Paul Scialla, Founder of the International WELL Building Institute and CEO of its parent company, Delos. “To succeed at scale means we are improving indoor spaces to help ensure that the people who visit them can be healthier and safer. This is a win for everyone involved.”

The WELL Health-Safety Rating brings together building expertise and nearly a decade of health science to promote indoor safety, creating an efficient and cost-effective opportunity to guide, validate, recognize and scale efforts to manage critical health and safety issues in shared spaces. The WELL Health-Safety Rating examines 22 features across five core areas - Cleaning and Sanitization Procedures, Emergency Preparedness Programs, Health Service Resources, Air and Water Quality Management, and Stakeholder Engagement and Communication - and requires a minimum of 15 criteria be met in order to achieve the rating and be awarded the WELL Health-Safety seal.

As such, the seal is a symbol of trust and confidence that is backed by science, structure and, most importantly, third-party verification. IWBI has seen thousands of buildings enroll in the program since its launch in July 2020, and expects significant global adoption to continue in 2021 and beyond.

“While the WELL Health-Safety Rating was a response to this moment in time, it was developed to address broader health and safety-related issues well into the future,” said Rachel Hodgdon, President and CEO of the International WELL Building Institute. “We collaborated with our global community to create something that’s flexible for all building types and organizational priorities. This consistency across market sectors means people will see the seal at their favorite restaurants, stadiums and hotels, and at their office, childcare center or college campus and know it stands for the same thing in every location, that science-based strategies have been implemented and safety has been prioritized.”

The WELL Health-Safety Rating was developed in response to market demand and informed by IWBI’s Task Force on COVID-19, which included nearly 600 public health experts, virologists, government officials, academics, business leaders, architects, designers, building scientists and real estate professionals. More than 1.5 billion square feet of space are enrolled in WELL offerings. To date, Yankee Stadium, the Empire State Building, JPMorgan Chase, RocketMortgage Field House, Amalie Arena, Spectrum Center, Simon Property Group, BB&T Center, Aimbridge Hospitality and AT&T Stadium, among others, have achieved the WELL Health-Safety Rating.

The public awareness campaign launched today and comes to life through TV, digital video and social advertising. TV commercials will appear nationally through early spring 2021. The campaign creative was developed by advertising agency SWAT by Kirshenbaum, directed by Spike Lee and produced by Pony Show Entertainment.

“From an enterprise standpoint, this is an exceptionally exciting time for all of us,” said Delos CMO Anthony Antolino. “Helping everyone to get back to business with confidence is critical, and these celebrity ambassadors are key in helping spread the word.”