FCV partners with health agencies in new marketing campaign

VANCOUVER, BC – Vancouver Coastal Health, Providence Health Care and FCV have joined forces to launch a digital campaign to promote routine HIV testing. Under the STOP-HIV initiative, www.itsdifferentnow.org takes a giant step forward in moving health care outreach initiatives into the digital and social space with a modern, provocative and edgy approach. The campaign marks a significant shift in how health care organizations use digital media to generate a greater impact and return on investment over traditional media, and facilitates a more efficient and measureable use of public funds directed towards health care outreach and marketing programs.

The “It’s Different Now” brand identity and campaign activation framework, developed by FCV, incorporates bus shelter ads, a guerrilla poster campaign, a digital marketing campaign website and social media outreach to build awareness around the importance of routine HIV testing. The website delivers a number of videos of well-known researchers, field workers, practitioners, and people living with HIV to communicate the importance of early detection, highlighting advances in HIV research and elevating the HIV dialog beyond traditional misconceptions.

“The eye-catching ads are compelling, purposefully abstract and don’t mention HIV or testing. This is a different approach for our health organization. Many people think that HIV testing is not for them. We hope that the ads will lead people to the website, www.itsdifferentnow.org, to learn why an HIV test today is part of good preventive care for all adults,” said Dr. Patricia Daly, Chief Medical Health Officer and the Vice-President, Public Health at Vancouver Coastal Health.

“The feedback on the campaign has so far been overwhelming,” said John Starke, President & CEO at FCV. “People are really getting it, and from early on we have been seeing individuals take real ownership in sharing and shaping the message online.”

FCV developed all assets, including the brand identity, technical platform, online and print design, and social media strategy. "It was an outstanding collaboration from a team with fresh, original ideas who are more than able to work with complex systems and complex messages. FCV exceeded expectations at every step; from initial bid to final launch, everything was polished, professional and fast, from a team who love their work and clearly shared our passion,” said Scott Harrison, Program Director, Urban Health, HIV/AIDS at Providence Health Care.