From turn up to calm down: Lil Jon’s foray into mindfulness

Instead of encouraging people to “turn up,” Lil Jon is now helping them calm down. 

In his second meditation album “Manifest Abundance”—the first dropped earlier this year—the artist ditches lyrics like “Another round of shots” and “All those alcoholics where you at?” for  “We’re going to unlock the power of your imagination by going on a journey through the woods.” And Natural Vitality, Clorox’s magnesium supplement brand, jumped right in. 

“Lil Jon spotlights the idea that supporting mental well-being requires intention and regular practice,” said marketing lead Nicole Ng, “which is something that we believe in as a brand.” 

After hearing about his double foray into mindfulness, Natural Vitality placed the artist at the core of its Mental Health Awareness Month strategy and tapped him to lead a creator retreat. Building the campaign from the artist’s ideas, the brand said the partnership has unveiled new supplement use cases while demonstrating the value of talent as creative strategists rather than strict product pushers. 

“The traditional assumption of celebrity role on a brand campaign wasn’t even a consideration on our end ,” said Gabe Gordon, CEO of Reach Agency. “This had to be different.” 

Blending creator and celebrity impact 

Before the album dropped on May 10, the brand invited 40 wellness creators to the Bel-Air Hotel in Beverly Hills for magnesium-infused mocktails, massages and a guided meditation by Lil Jon. Beyond supporting creator mental health, Natural Vitality is donating $100,000 or 1,500 therapy sessions to underserved and marginalized communities in Los Angeles through non-profit Open Paths Counseling Center.  

Ng stressed that because the supplement category is “highly involved,” finding creators who can encourage consumer trust through personal anecdotes is key, especially when normalizing mental health conversations. Using Lil Jon as a source of levity was just one use case. 

“Much of our audience grew up listening to him, and so having him share his  professional and personal transformation inspired and helped others take steps forward in their mental wellness journey,” she said. 

Drawing inspiration from talent 

According to Ng, the goal of the retreat was to present a wide range of mental health resources, which can range from the magnesium method to meditation and therapy. While Natural Vitality had previously promoted the high-level mental and physical benefits of magnesium,  Lil Jon’s work allowed the brand to expand its aperture and dive into a more specific use case—one that has legs beyond this campaign. 

 “We knew Magnesium plays a key role in supporting your mental and physical well-being, but had never explored its role in the meditation experience, another powerful tool in supporting mental well-being,” said Gordon. “This was our opportunity.” 

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