Mended Murals

Delve into the dynamic fusion of street art and healthcare equity through VML's collaboration with Vaseline for "Mended Murals." Explore how this innovative initiative revitalizes neglected murals while championing skin health in underserved communities, leaving an indelible mark on both art and wellness landscapes.

Mended Murals is a continuation of Vaseline's long-standing commitment to enable 15 million people of color to access more equitable skin health care by 2025.

Kathleen Dunlop

CMO of Unilever Beauty and Wellbeing, North America

In many multicultural communities, murals serve as vital cultural markers, yet they often fall victim to neglect, graffiti, or destruction. Concurrently, skin health care for people of color has historically been marginalized, leading to disparate outcomes and increased mortality rates for conditions like skin cancer. The challenge was to address both issues simultaneously, revitalizing neglected murals while raising awareness and access to skin health resources in underserved communities.

Inspired by the intersection of art and healthcare equity, the team drew motivation from the profound impact of street art in fostering community identity and the pressing need to address healthcare disparities for people of color.

The core idea behind "Mended Murals" was to leverage art restoration as a means to spotlight the importance of skin health and increase access to healthcare resources in Black and Brown communities. By commissioning street artists in multiple cities to restore murals and integrating QR codes linking to skin health resources, Vaseline aimed to transform neglected murals into vibrant hubs of community connection and health education.

Through partnerships with artists in Baltimore, MD, Brooklyn, NY, and Hartford, CT, Vaseline committed to restoring select murals and supporting local clinics in these cities. QR codes embedded in the murals direct community members to SeeMySkin.com, offering valuable skin health resources. Additionally, Vaseline pledged $250,000 to charitable health clinics across these cities. The initiative further invites communities to nominate murals for restoration, ensuring a continued impact on local health equity efforts.