Animation Delivers Safety Message to Young Audience in Kansas
Developing Caring Communities Committed to Action: Safer Kansas
4M
Delivered 4,080,009 Total Impressions to Kansas Youth Ages 12–18
8Wk
Strategy Included Paid Social, YouTube, ZTV and Hulu Used for 8-Week Media Flight
$12K
Statewide Campaign Launched With $12,000 Media Budget
Branding
Marketing
Overview
DCCCA set out to launch a campaign aimed at reaching youth ages 12–18 and discouraging opioid and other substance use. Research showed that a “preachy” or top-down approach would fall flat — teens are quick to tune out anything that feels like a lecture. To actually connect, the campaign needed to feel peer-driven, relatable, and rooted in their world, not ours.
Award-winning
- Silver ADDY Elements of Advertising: Animation
HOW we helped
Connecting with a teen audience meant showing up the right way. With a wide target range from 12 to 18, we needed a campaign that could speak to both ends without feeling out of touch. Ghost created an amorphous character. No race, no gender, no stereotypes, so every kid could see themselves in the story without bias getting in the way.
The character navigates a video game world of risky choices, ending with a hard-hitting, relatable “game over” moment. Bold animation, a stripped-down color scheme, and clear storytelling kept it sharp, serious, and real. All without ever falling back on fear tactics.
We used bold animation, a minimal color scheme, and clear narrative hooks to keep the message serious without ever becoming preachy. The result? A campaign that earned trust, not eye-rolls, exactly what this audience deserved.
