Case Study

Reframing a mental health campaign to reach the people who needed it most

CLIENT:

Horizon Foundation

Overview

When the Horizon Foundation's mental health campaign wasn't connecting with priority audiences, especially BIPOC communities, they turned to PRR to rebuild it from the ground up. The result: a campaign that performed 4.2x better than its predecessor.

SECTORS

Health

Consumer

SERVICES

Research and Insights

Creative Studio

Community Engagement

AREAS OF IMPACT

Mental Health, Behavior Change, Health Equity, Community Connection, BIPOC Audiences

4.2x

better click-through performance than prior campaign

2x

engagement programs delivered

<3 mo

to deliver the full campaign from start to launch

The Challenge

A campaign that wasn't reaching the people who needed it most

The Emotional Support Human campaign was designed to normalize conversations about mental health among Howard County residents, not by speaking to those in crisis, but to the friends and family who could reach them first. Research showed that most people knew when someone close to them was struggling, but stayed silent because they didn't know what to say.

‍

One year after its initial launch, the campaign wasn't connecting with its priority audiences: primarily BIPOC residents ages 18–34. Meanwhile, the COVID-19 pandemic was compounding mental health challenges across the country, creating urgency the existing creative couldn't match.

The Opportunity

A rebrand that built on what was already working

The campaign name, "Emotional Support Human," had equity. PRR's opportunity was to rethink everything else: the visual identity, the messaging tone, the media strategy, and the outreach approach. Rather than starting over, we listened first, to community members, to grantees, to CBO partners, and let that research shape the creative direction.

Illustration of one man welcoming another at an apartment doorway

Illustration of a young person looking at their phone in a school hallway surrounded by shadowy figures

Illustration of a couple in a living room with a girl seated on a yellow couch

Illustration of a large, diverse group of people standing together

Join the Growing Movement graphic with supporthuman.org on a night sky

Illustration of community members shown within thought bubbles above a city skyline

Illustration of community members gathering in a park, including a person using a wheelchair

Illustration of a hand holding a phone showing a check-in message at night

The Solution

Research-led strategy, community-shaped creative

PRR developed and delivered a full campaign refresh, including new animated video, a redesigned website, a paid and organic social media program, and CBO outreach, all within three months.

Listened before designing

Kept the campaign moving

When pandemic restrictions made live filming impossible, animation allowed production to continue. Five new short videos were developed and delivered in under three months.

Rebuilt a destination site

Rebuilt supporthuman.org around the needs of the priority audience with a new visual identity, clearer content architecture, and language and imagery that actually reflected the community it was speaking to.

Met people where they were

Developed a social content strategy and posting calendar, managed ongoing scheduling, and continuously adjusted the approach based on what the analytics were telling us.

Illustration of a student at a library desk with a framed picture of raised hands on the wall

Illustration of a person in an apron working behind a coffee shop counter

Illustration of a family standing together while a girl sits on a yellow couch

Illustration of a young person lying awake in bed at night with a phone on the nightstand

Illustration of a hand holding an open book with a phone playing a video

Illustration of two students with backpacks standing at school lockers

Results

Community members saw it, and chose to engage

Among people seeing the campaign video for the first time, 83% said it grabbed their attention and 77% said it inspired them to take action. Almost all of those first-time viewers said they were likely to reach out to (89% to 92%) or make an effort to listen to (93% to 95%) a friend or family member who might be experiencing mental health challenges. Half of the people who had seen campaign materials before had already recommended the resources to others, and 38% had already used the materials to prepare for conversations with a friend or family member they saw struggling.