In addition to on-air PSAs, MTV is developing a documentary-style Untitled Whiteness Project, which will explore the anxieties of white youths grappling with America's shift to a majority-minority society.

"There's an opportunity to open up and explore by putting the spotlight on the experiences of young white people as they're navigating the college admissions process or they're wondering how come there are diversity clubs for all these different groups, how come there isn't a white club?" Jason Rzepka, MTV's SVP of Communications & Public Affairs, told BuzzFeed. "There will be instances in which we need to make clear that there are privileges that people have inherently — if that's class, if that's race, if that's gender. That's part of the equation: to create an understanding and acknowledgment of privilege as a concept. Through working on this campaign, what I feel is that I'm very aware of my privilege and I want to use my privilege for good. Any great social movement is populated by allies. It can't just be about the oppressed people."

The "Look Different" campaign will also ask MTV viewers to participate in online activities like an "Implicit Bias Quiz" and seven-day "Racial Bias Cleanse," the latter of which includes downloading a "non-stereotypical image," such as that of a black female scientist, and setting it as the background of one's phone. A "See that/Say this" section on the campaign's website will ask participants to send tweets, facts, or GIFs in reaction to problematic statements like, "Asians can't fail, it's like genetically impossible, right?"

"[Though] our audience is great on certain issues and understanding what feels homophobic, or sexist, or racist, it's the obvious examples, like the Clippers example," Friedman said, citing the recent incident in which former L.A. Clippers owner Donald Sterling was recorded making overtly racist remarks against black people. More insidious examples of racism, such as asserting that someone looks or does not look like they belong to a particular racial or ethnic group they identify with, are often left unexamined, Friedman said. "I think it's those hidden biases that we want to surface and have a conversation about."

"Look Different" follows several other MTV campaigns that have encouraged the network's audience to engage in social movements. The pro-democracy initiative "Choose or Lose" — which has since been rebranded to suit each presidential election (most recently "Power of 12" in 2012) — has been a staple of MTV since 1992 and encourages young adults to register and vote. The blog MTV Act which launched two years ago, spotlights the intersection between pop culture and social activism. MTV's international channels have also championed various causes; the Staying Alive Foundation is focused on global HIV prevention, while MTV EXIT is geared toward ending human trafficking.