De-stigmatizing substance use disorder

Shatterproof

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the addiction crisis in America. Stigmatization is a major barrier to effective addiction treatment. It can lead to feelings of shame and isolation that hold people back from seeking the treatment options that can help them recover.

The challenge

States across the country are launching major public health campaigns designed to de-stigmatize substance use disorder, and Shatterproof is working in partnership with state governments to develop localized content for the campaigns.

Shatterproof engaged Powell Tate in 2021 to develop unifying branding for the state campaigns to bolster their collective impact and advance the Shatterproof brand as the content developer and issue expert.

The solution & impact

We began by developing and refining several potential campaign brand names and logos. We engaged our in-house research partner KRC Research to develop an online survey to measure audience sentiment toward three creative concepts. The survey measured participants’ responses about each concept’s familiarity, favorability, relevance, appeal and ability to generate interest, as well as alignment and fit with campaign goals.

Based on survey feedback, we confirmed the campaign brand as UNSHAME.

UNSHAME has a strong call to action, making clear that we must UNSHAME to end the stigma that surrounds substance use disorder, making it possible for people to seek the help and treatment they need. We developed brand guidelines for UNSHAME including tone and voice, brand logos, typography, color palette, iconography and guidelines for using the UNSHAME brand in conjunction with state brands and the Shatterproof brand.