Washington State Department of Health
Drug overdose deaths in Washington involving synthetic opioids (i.e. Fentanyl) increased more than 160% between 2018 and 2022. In human terms this meant that at least two people were dying from an opioid overdose every day. The Washington State Department of Health turned to C+C to create a campaign with a goal to reduce overdose deaths caused by opioids. This would be a tough one.
It was imperative to get inside the heads of the audience. During six research phases, C+C recruited from all sides of the issue, especially people who use opioids to ensure we had their perspective. What we found was the campaign needed to accomplish two goals: 1) Get across/reinforce the fact that the medication Naloxone can reverse an opioid overdose 2) Get Naloxone into the hands of those who needed it the most--people who use opioids and/or their care networks.
It became immediately apparent that the work needed to be honest, compassionate, non-judgmental and simply give people the information to effectively identify an overdose and how they can stop it. The cornerstone of the campaign was a video that dug below the surface to illustrate exactly how it felt to have the courage (as well as the means) to save a friend’s life. This was reinforced with messaging across social channels, easy access to naloxone through free mail order in priority counties, and a website to help friends or loved ones identify the signs of overdose.
The Results:
• A 14% increase in statewide naloxone awareness among English-speakers and a 11% increase among Spanish-speakers.
• A 98% increase in naloxone orders in the 13 targeted counties during the campaign period
• More than 188K unique visitors to the website with a very low bounce rate of 5%.
• More than 500K in social media engagements
• A recall rate of 62% among people who use opioids and 47% for care networks
• An emotionally tired but fearlessly hopeful client and campaign team.