Statewide Naloxone Education and Overdose Prevention Campaign

Background

In 2021, Luceo partnered with the Pennsylvania Department of Health (PADOH) to develop and produce a statewide public service advertising campaign.  This campaign centered on naloxone as a valuable tool to prevent deaths from opioid overdose in Pennsylvania.  Unlike traditional prevention campaigns that convey the risks and dangers of drug use, its focus was inspiring and empowering Pennsylvanians from all walks of life to obtain naloxone and provide life-saving interventions in the event of an overdose.

Objective

• Increasing awareness and utilization of naloxone as an effective measure to prevent opioid overdoses in Pennsylvania

• Normalizing naloxone as a commonplace and life-saving first-aid measure 

• Countering stigma faced by people who use drugs and illustrating how overdose deaths affect all communities and demographic groups

• Reversing the trend of increasing overdose rates faced by both urban and rural Pennsylvanians through demographic-specific messaging and targeted deployment of campaign materials

Deliverables

• 30-second and 15-second video advertisements

• 30-second and 15-second radio advertisements

• OOH (out-of-home) advertising materials, including billboards

• Design and branding schematic template for digital advertisements

• Digital materials and content for social media, mobile, and web placements

• Google Adwords content for advertising on major platforms

Insights

#1 Stigma face by people who use drugs plays a significant role in reducing the likelihood of first-aid interventions 

#2 Centering a campaign on real people with lived experience reduces stigma faced by individuals living with substance use disorder and normalizes the use of naloxone to prevent overdose

#3 As a large and diverse state, campaign talent should be drawn from multiple demographics in both urban and rural Pennsylvania communities

Solution

Luceo worked with PADOH and stakeholder organizations in the state of Pennsylvania to locate five campaign ambassadors, representing different Pennsylvania communities and demographics. Each of these subjects had significant first-hand experience with opioid overdose and overdose prevention efforts, having either administered naloxone, survived overdose, lost a loved one to overdose, or a combination of these experiences. Subjects were both filmed and photographed for the campaign. To ensure authenticity and to connect with the target audience, scripting and language for each campaign video was derived from interviews with each subject. Scripting and messaging for video, radio, and digital/online advertisements were segmented and tailored to urban and rural audiences, allowing for targeted messaging across the state.