NKU Wellness takes popular song to promote healthy eating

No, that isn’t Macklemore you’re hearing. It’s NKU Wellness Ambassadors, LJ Adkins and Artie Minera, who put their passion for wellness and musical talent to work in their new video, Fre$h Shop.

Artie Minera said, initially, this wasn’t a planned project. Adkins started singing her own lyrics whenever she heard the popular song Thrift Shop performed by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis.

“LJ was listening to the song a lot by accident with it being played everywhere,” Minera said. “Our boss said, ‘Why not make a parody if you guys have the time to?’ and so we did!”

It took a total of two months to complete this project, as the pair wished for this to be of good quality to promote NKU’s Wellness Center and healthy eating in general.

Minera and Adkins worked with Meijer in Cold Springs, Ky., after getting them in on the fun through a few brief emails. By filming the video early in the day, they were able to avoid the “rush” of customers.

“Meijer of Cold Springs was very cooperative and encouraging as LJ and I filmed, and we received laughs and questions that allowed us to promote NKU,” Minera said.  “To the customers watching, it was a lot of fun. To the workers, it was a hoot.”

“I think the fruits and veggies never felt so loved either.”

The pair credited their work to all the support from Meijer, the Wellness Center, and NKU that allowed them to create and promote what Minera referred to as a “very funny and very healthy” video.

Start your summer off right and join NKU Wellness in the movement towards healthy lifestyles. And remember, as Minera and Adkins say, “healthy food is awesome.”