To address low levels of trust in the healthcare system in underserved Black and Latino communities, Advocate Health Care and the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) has launched a public awareness campaign promoting a range of COVID-19 informational and health care options. The program connects health workers with patients who are experiencing COVID-related symptoms but do not require emergency or in-patient care. Chicago-based brand strategy team Birk Creative was instrumental in developing the theme – “We Got You” or, in Spanish, “Estamos Contigo.”
“This familiar phrase addresses the varying needs and questions of community members caught in a pandemic, and is meant to curb fears and confusion with a catch-all approach to support,” says JinJa Birkenbeuel, CEO of the creative agency. The project included an integrated brand and content strategy, delivering everything from campaign naming, brand visual identity, campaign themes, creative for all ad channels, traditional OOH, as well as custom memoji and emoji development, animation and blogs. CEO Birkenbeuel was named a GDUSA Person To Watch earlier this year.
“Informing Illinois residents about this program was an urgent communications problem, as the program could reduce long-term health consequences of COVID-19, or even save lives,” comments Kelly Jo Golson, Chief Marketing Officer at Advocate Aurora Health.