The Challenge

Skyrocketing cases of syphilis 

An alarming number of Syphilis cases have been reported prompting the health ministry to take immediate action. Most of this was attributable to a large population of 18 to 24-year-olds who knew about safe sex practices, but were jaded by traditional sexual health messages.

 

The solution

Speak to the target in their language

This integrated campaign, playing off the name of a well known dating site, was one of the most successful heath care initiatives in Alberta history. It made news in all mainstream media. On a personal note, one of my proudest professional moments was when I repeatedly overheard strangers talking about it.

The Challenge

An indifferent public and government that was not responding to convincing facts

The Alberta Wilderness Association had tried more conventional ways to get the government to put grizzly bears on the endangered species list. But facts like statistics on habitat loss weren’t resonating with key decision makers, or the general public. 

The solution

use bold satire to gain attention 

It almost seemed as if people wanted to eradicate the bears instead of saving them. And from that observation, No More Grizzlies was born. The message got through. Within a few months, legislators declared the grizzly a threatened species, and put the necessary protections in place. A monumental step forward.

The Challenge

Encourage KFC to stop UNNECESSARY use of Antibiotics

With a limited budget, we needed to convince the Colonel to stop feeding antibiotics to his chickens. 

Feeding antibiotics routinely to animals that are not sick kills off weak bacteria and creates an environment for antibiotic-resistant bacteria to thrive which threatens public health. The practice promotes drug-resistant superbugs that infect two million Americans a year. 

Unfortunately, data-driven science was not convincing enough to make KFC change course.

The solution

create a character they can't ignore

Auntie Biotic, an improv comedian in a pill-covered chicken suit, visited KFC spreading the word about antibiotic use to the audience KFC cares about most—its customers.

We filled KFC’s social media channels, Tweeting and Facebooking her way to more than 500,000 video views in her first month of life. Followers could petition KFC and donate to support the message. She appeared on a mobile billboard outside of their head office in Kentucky. She went on the road to major cities across the county. 

Within six hours of the campaign’s launch, the phone rang at NRDC… it was the Colonel. And within the year KFC publicly announced it would no longer regularly use antibiotics.  

The Challenge

Young, SIngle vacationers are at risk

Picturesque Bow Valley has one of the highest rates of of sexually transmitted disease in the country. 

The solution

Don't bring something home you may regret

An unexpected and unwelcome keepsake is something to be avoided. 

The Challenge

raise awareness of pesticide alternatives for young home owners.

The creative challenge was to break through the clutter and speak to our audience in an original and lasting way.

The solution

in our backyard—literally.
The common gnome. 

Who better to be sensitive to the hazards of harsh pesticide use than him? Using striking imagery that was unexpected yet beautiful we managed to break through the clutter and resonate with our very media-savvy audience. 

The Challenge

REGRETTABLY, Hate speech is Ubiquitous

Homophobic language is too often used thoughtlessly, even if it’s without malice. But rather than tell people to think before speaking, we showed them what they were saying.

The solution

It's so common it's happening this moment

In real time, via live tweets, homophobic language was displayed for all to see, without judgment or comment from us. Visitors to the site could, however, interact with the tweeters featured. Within 24 hours, the site had over a hundred thousand visitors, and was trending on Twitter. It received global media coverage from the likes of The Economist, The Atlantic, The Guardian, CBS, Reddit, Upworthy, CBC, CTV, Mashable, BuzzFeed, and even Aljazeera. Note: I left the agency before this project was completed. 

The Challenge

Too many riders drive recklessly

Traditional safety messages don't resonate with free-spirit riders. They believe they write their own rules which is liberating—until injured. 

The solution

Borrow from biker culture with a twist

With clever language juxtaposed against a Hell's Angels graphic treatment, reach out to motorcyclists in a visual language that is both immediate and layered.