Buck Stigma
Buck Stigma is an umbrella concept developed for Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services designed to combat the stigma surrounding sexual health issues and practices for individuals in the central Missouri region.
Two social media campaigns were developed under the Buck Stigma umbrella – the first was a series of ads aimed at empowering the targeted audience (men ages 18-35 who have sex with men) to care enough about themselves to take measures to protect themselves and others against HIV infection. These static display ads ran on multiple social channels within the targeted geographic are as well as on the gay dating app Grinder – a novel yet risky placement for a government sponsored entity.
The second campaign focused on free at-home HIV test kits available through the health department. These video ads ran on various social platforms and once again harnessed the idea of caring enough for yourself to realize you deserve protection from a disease that's 100% preventable.
The impact of the umbrella concept and respective campaigns won gold in the Tiny But Mighty category of the AdAge Healthcare Impact Awards. The following case study was created for the award entry. Take a look.
