ABOUT

While many Americans seemed to realize the country was in the grip of the worst drug crisis in its history, they didn’t understand the root of the problem: prescription opioids. Instead, they blamed it on junkies and illegal drugs. The average person wasn’t concerned that they or their loved ones might ever fall victim to opioid abuse. In a situation where awareness and education were literally a matter of life and death, PR found a dramatic way to humanize the issue of opioid abuse with an experiential, earned-media-driven campaign that has led directly to U.S. policymakers and the White House.

BACKGROUND:
With its mission to eliminate preventable deaths in America, the National Safety Council (NSC) is facing a new killer of unprecedented magnitude. The opioid crisis is now the worst drug epidemic in U.S. history. Although Americans have heard about the crisis, 40% don’t consider prescription pain medication as a threat to their family.

But the facts are chilling: approximately 22,000 Americans die annually from a prescription opioid overdose — one every 24 minutes. 33% of prescription opioid users don’t know they’re even taking opioids. And 64% of opioid misuse starts with people using someone else’s medications.

What Americans didn’t know was killing them.

NSC needed a dramatic way to: 1) Wake up America and its public health policymakers to the urgency of addressing the problem, 2) Dismantle misinformation and misconceptions surrounding opioid addiction, and 3) Offer new solutions to help consumers seek opioid alternatives and reduce opioids in circulation.

CREATIVE IDEA:
Only when confronted with real people lost to overdoses do people understand their own vulnerability to addiction.

While 92 million Americans take prescribed opioids annually, most think the drug epidemic is due to junkies abusing illegal drugs. They may not consider the successful student athlete, loving mother, or active grandfather who accidentally overdosed on opioids. Or, that this pattern of avoidable death is repeated every 24 minutes somewhere in America.

The first step in fighting a crisis is facing it. We took that to task, literally. Enlisting the precision-crafting of a CNC machine, we etched the actual faces of 22,000 overdose victims on replica opioid pills to create an emotionally-riveting traveling memorial. Then we teamed awareness with action: Warn Me labels for insurance cards, demanding accountability from those filling America’s opioid prescriptions; Stericycle envelopes to promote proper disposal of unused opioids; and progressive public policy directives to enact real change.

STRATEGY:
“Prescribed to Death” would humanize the devastating effects of opioids through a massive memorial dramatically depicting the faces and stories of 22,000 annual victims of opioid overdose. Targeting household health decision makers and pain sufferers, we’d publicize the overlooked facts and promote positive action the public can take.

PR would drive foot traffic to the memorial and create widespread awareness through earned media channels. Localized digital billboards, urban panels, and bus shelters would reach consumers in their daily lives, while a powerful video PSA on the memorial would drive national attention and social engagement. We’d even target medical offices through digital TV and living wallboards, and intercept consumers during online health and wellness searches.

Then we’d mobilize our message, taking “Prescribed to Death” on the road, targeting U.S. cities profoundly affected by the opioid crisis, and creating a groundswell that would ultimately take us all the way to Washington policymakers.

EXECUTION:
“Prescribed to Death” opened in Chicago at heavily-covered launch events attended by prominent politicians and health professionals. The public confronted the wall memorializing 22,000 victims’ faces carved on opioid pills. Every 24 minutes, another victim’s face was carved on a new pill. Victim advocate rooms let visitors hear their stories, see their personal belongings, and speak with surviving loved ones. Visitors received free “Opioids: Warn Me” labels to apply to insurance and pharmacy cards, and Stericycle envelopes for proper disposal of unused prescription opioids.

The Memorial moved on, including a stop before 3,000+ global health officials attending the National Rx and Heroin Summit in Atlanta. Then NSC received the ultimate invitation from the White House, Department of Interior, and the National Park Service to visit Washington, D.C. NSC released its landmark “Prescription Nation” study on the epidemic, and once in Washington, proposed model legislation. Publicity was now in high gear.

RESULTS:
“Prescribed to Death” has established NSC as a leader in the fight against prescription opioid overdose. Public relations is leading a nation from awareness of an opioid epidemic to understanding, conversation and bipartisan commitment and action.

SHAPING PUBLIC HEALTH POLICY:
• The U.S. Congress has pledged $4 billion to address the crisis.

• NSC has released “Prescription Nation 2018,” a landmark study offering a state-by-state assessment of steps being taken to combat the epidemic, as well as model legislation, recommending six key actions that state governments could take -- generating bipartisan support and heavy Beltway media coverage.

• First Lady Melania Trump; the U.S. Surgeon General and the Attorney General; and Secretaries of Labor, Energy, Health & Human Services, Education, and Interior, along with members of Congress, have spoken at or toured the Memorial -- many tweeting on social.

SPARKING PUBLIC CONVERSATION, PERCEPTION AND BEHAVIOR CHANGE:
• Social conversation grew 891% during Memorial stops; 3663% following Washington visit announcement.

• 1,021,000 million Warn Me labels and 8,500 Stericycle envelopes are in use, with millions in production.

• 95% of Memorial visitors said they now feel comfortable talking to a friend/relative about the dangers of opioid use; 60% have a major concern about prescription pain medication as a potential cause of injury or death in their family; 90% would be very willing to ask their doctor for alternatives to opioids.

PROVING THAT THE FIRST STEP IN COMBATTING A CRISIS IS FACING IT:
• 12,990,351 million video views
• 2,455,606,809 billion earned media impressions
• 2,017% increase in shared Facebook impressions