Shelby County Health Department: Anti-Opiate Campaign

“Kick the Cup” Anti-Opiate Campaign, 2019

Kelley & Associates developed the “Kick the Cup” anti-opiate campaign for the Shelby County Health Department to help reduce teen use of “lean,” or codeine cough syrup. Designed to connect with a teenage target audience, the campaign used bold outdoor creative, direct messaging and youth-focused cultural insights to make the message more relevant and memorable.

The campaign concept was informed by research, interviews and focus groups with teens. “Kick the Cup” drew inspiration from the viral #KickDaCupChallenge associated with rapper Mozzy, using a familiar cultural reference to encourage teens to reject peer pressure and make healthier choices.

The campaign’s bus wrap creative delivered a clear, high-impact message across out-of-home media and earned a Bronze 2019 Summit Creative Award in the Outdoor-Single category. The broader “Kick the Cup” branding campaign also received a Platinum MarCom Award and was supported by stakeholders in county government and community groups. The bus wrap was officially unveiled in June 2019 at Juvenile Intervention & Faith-Based Follow-Up, with the County Mayor, media and more than 50 youth in attendance.

Read the full case history for more information on the SCHD “Kick the Cup” Branding Campaign.