Crawford Creative

( WORK 06)

DESIGNER

STOP OVERDOSE CAMPAIGN

Designing a bold, harm-reduction focused digital campaign for the CDC Division of Overdose Prevention that transformed urgent public health messaging into clear, accessible and visually compelling social awareness content.

CLIENT

CDC Division of Overdose Prevention (DOP)

YEAR

2023

SERVICES

ADVERTISING

SOCIAL MEDIA

EXPERIENTIAL DESIGN

(OVERVIEW)

This project focused on developing a digital harm reduction campaign for the CDC Division of Overdose Prevention to promote the use of fentanyl test strips among festival and concert attendees. As synthetic opioids continue to drive overdose deaths across the United States, DOP sought a campaign that would educate high risk audiences and provide practical tools for safer decision making. The creative work included social media posts and digital banners designed to communicate a clear, urgent and life saving message while aligning with the CDC’s existing fentanyl education initiatives.

(THE CHALLENGE)

The challenge was to communicate a sensitive public health message in a way that was direct and attention grabbing without relying on fear based or judgmental messaging. The campaign needed to reach audiences who may not actively seek out harm reduction information and quickly convey the risks of fentanyl contamination in illicit substances. At the same time, the visuals and tone had to remain accessible and respectful, balancing urgency with clarity while supporting CDC’s goal of empowering individuals rather than discouraging behavior.

(OUR APPROACH)

The approach centered on bold, high contrast visual storytelling paired with straightforward, action oriented messaging. I designed digital assets that used striking headlines such as “Test Your Drugs for Fentanyl” and “Your Drugs Could Be Laced” to immediately capture attention in fast moving social environments. Visual metaphors, including a magnifying glass revealing a fake ingredient list, reinforced the unpredictability of illicit substances while simplifying complex harm reduction concepts. Select designs also incorporated visual representations of fentanyl test strip results to make the guidance more tangible and understandable for the target audience. The overall system prioritized clarity, urgency and accessibility while maintaining alignment with CDC’s existing visual language.

(RESULTS & IMPACT)

The final campaign successfully translated harm reduction messaging into a visually compelling digital system that resonated with high risk audiences in festival and concert environments. By combining clear instructional messaging with bold, engaging visuals, the campaign increased awareness of fentanyl test strips as a practical safety tool. The work supported CDC’s Division of Overdose Prevention in expanding access to life saving resources and reinforcing harm reduction as a critical public health strategy focused on education, empowerment and saving lives.