The Living Proof campaign was created to combat the stigma surrounding substance use disorder and to promote treatment and recovery services in San Francisco offered by the Department of Public Health by highlighting real voices of those who have been there. Amid a devastating opioid crisis, the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) partnered with Civic Edge Consulting to launch a campaign that would humanize recovery and inspire hope.
The campaign’s primary goal is to increase awareness of available treatment options and to shift public perception by showcasing real San Franciscans who are “living proof” that recovery is possible. With our campaign, we hope to reduce stigma, encourage use of treatment services, and support SFDPH’s broader overdose prevention strategy.
Working collaboratively with our colleagues at SFDPH, Civic Edge Consulting led the creative development and execution of the Living Proof SF campaign. Our strategy centered on storytelling by featuring real individuals in recovery who shared their journeys through video, photography, and written testimonials across multiple platforms.
We conducted in-depth interviews and photo shoots with our “talent,” ensuring their voices were represented with authenticity. The campaign was deployed across multiple platforms including ads on Muni buses and shelters, billboards in high-impact neighborhoods like the Tenderloin and SoMa, digital ads on social media and streaming platforms, and in-app placements in Lyft vehicles.
A key challenge was ensuring the campaign resonated with both the general public and those directly affected by substance use, particularly older Black men. We addressed this by involving community members in the creative process and testing messaging for impact. Another key challenge was recruiting talent who have gone through the difficult process of recovery who represent our target audiences. Talent recruitment was made possible through the community trust fostered by key members of the SFDPH team.
The campaign generated over 72 million impressions across the campaign’s multi-media channels. Post-campaign polling showed that one in ten had seen an ad from the Living Proof SF campaign and two in five were likely to take an action in response to the ad. Most importantly, the campaign helped normalize conversations around recovery and inspired individuals to seek help, as these real-life stories of resilience proved to be a strong tool in shifting public perception. While not singularly directly attributable to the campaign, San Francisco saw a 20% decrease in overdose deaths in 2024, a positive trend and a sign that the city’s approach, including this campaign, is working.