MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Background
In partnership with Vital Strategies (a public health organization with expertise in overdose prevention), Luceo developed and produced a digital advertising campaign for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS). This ‘health-framed’ campaign centered on harm reduction messaging that targeted people at risk of overdose in the state of Michigan. Unlike abstinence-based messaging, its focus was normalizing critical health interventions, such as Sterile Syringe Programs (SSPs) and naloxone.
Objective
• Increasing awareness and utilization of harm reduction services in the state of Michigan (specifically SSPs and naloxone)
• Normalizing harm reduction as an essential health service
• Countering stigma faced by people who use drugs and portraying them as individuals in need of access to compassionate health care
• Reversing the trend of disproportionate overdose rates faced by African American Michiganders through demographic-specific messaging and targeted deployment of campaign materials
Deliverables
• 30-second and 15-second video advertisements
• OOH (Out-of-home) advertising materials, including billboards
• Digital materials for social media, mobile, and web placements
• Website tools on campaign landing page to help visitors locate nearby harm reduction services
Insights
#1 Stigma presents a significant barrier to the provision of effective services
#2 Centering a campaign on real people with lived experience reduces stigma faced by individuals living with substance use disorder and normalizes harm reduction services
#3 Campaign talent should be drawn from impacted Michigan communities
Solution
Luceo partnered with harm reduction organizations in the state of Michigan to locate four campaign ambassadors. Each of these subjects had significant lived experience with substance use disorder, as well as a deep commitment to the provision of harm reduction services in their communities. Subjects were both filmed and photographed for the campaign. To ensure authenticity and to connect with the target audience, campaign scripting and language was derived from interviews with each subject. The tagline ‘Change. At Your Own Pace.’ describes harm reduction services and differentiates them from abstinence-based approaches to the challenges of drug-use.
Results
• The campaign was awarded Best Social Justice Campaign for its efforts to combat overdose through promoting harm reduction and challenging stigma against people who use drugs.
• The campaign received 43.3 million impressions and 6.3 million video views.
• The campaign was featured in Transmedia Change: Pedagogy and Practice for Socially Concerned Transmedia Stories.
• But the most important result is here: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CM8qRfEFYa_/