Objective

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are recognized as a significant public health crisis. In California, nearly 62.3% of adults report at least one ACE, with 16.3% reporting four or more. These experiences can lead to toxic stress, affecting mental, physical, and emotional health well into adulthood. Additionally, the economic impact is staggering, with ACE-related adult health conditions costing the U.S. an estimated $14.1 trillion annually. 

The Live Beyond campaign aims to:

1. Increase understanding of ACEs and toxic stress.
2. Support the prevention and mitigation of ACEs and toxic stress by providing resources and evidence-based strategies for healing.
3. Influence attitudes towards resilience, emphasizing that healing is possible and individuals are not defined by their trauma.
4. Inspire action among youth and caregivers to seek support and begin their healing journey.

Understanding ACEs and their impact is the first step toward breaking cycles of trauma and subsequent toxic stress that can lead to long-term health problems. By providing practical tools and resources for healing and managing stress, the campaign empowers individuals to take control of their well-being and mitigate the impacts of ACEs, which are linked to numerous health conditions, including depression, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and substance abuse. 

By encouraging a mindset shift towards resilience, and promoting help-seeking behaviors, our campaign supports affected individuals in leading a healthier, healed life. And, by addressing ACEs early and comprehensively, our campaign can help reduce the burden of disease and foster a supportive environment that enhances overall well-being–and healing–across generations.

Strategy

Live Beyond is unprecedented in addressing Adverse Childhood Experiences and toxic stress. “This is the first campaign about ACEs to directly focus messaging toward youth and young adults,” said Dr. Sohil Sud, Director of California’s Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative. “...they want to understand the science behind ACEs, how these events can negatively impact their health and show up in their lives and relationships well into adulthood, and how to heal with evidence-based strategies. That’s exactly what this campaign aims to do.” 

The campaign employed a strategy built on a foundation of audience research, collaboration, and active engagement with communities with lived experience. The approach was to move audiences from awareness to action through four pillars:

1. Education: Informing the public about ACEs, toxic stress, and available resources.
2. Attitude Change: Sharing personal stories of when youth connected their struggles to their ACEs, fostering a hopeful outlook that healing is possible.
3. Skill Building: Providing practical strategies for managing the effects of ACEs and Toxic stress.
4. Action:  Promoting help-seeking behaviors and community connections.

Execution:

1. A comprehensive paid media campaign was designed to reach our primary audience of transition-age youth (16-25) and our secondary audience of parents and caregivers. Using consumer insight data, we strategically placed ads across digital and traditional platforms to guide audiences through their journey from awareness to action. Ads were developed in English and Spanish to maximize inclusivity and reach within diverse communities. 
2. We crafted tailored content for TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook. TikTok featured the voices of experts and advocates in the field, blending educational messages with the platform’s signature humor and trends. Instagram featured a diverse range of content, from interactive stories and calming videos to strategic reposts from trusted sources. Facebook shared statistics and links to YouTube videos. This approach allowed us to effectively reach and engage our target demographics, with TikTok and Instagram aligning with younger audiences and Facebook engaging slightly older audiences. 
3. We executed a broad PR campaign, combining emotional impact with accessible science. This included engaging influencers such as Valkyrae to authentically amplify our message, cultivating partnerships with organizations within our target communities, and a rapid response strategy to breaking news.
4. The campaign website, designed with a mobile-first approach, acted as a hub for learning about ACEs and accessing tools. It featured concise, engaging content tailored to young adults, reinforcing messages of hope and resilience.
5. The campaign fostered deep community engagement through partnerships with community-based organizations and youth advisors. We conducted workshops, listening sessions, and training programs, empowering youth and parents to create content for campaign channels. Grassroots marketing, including murals, reinforced our local presence and enabled direct community interaction.
6. The Live Beyond campaign partnered with South Central Los Angeles’ Drew League, whose goal is to provide a haven for youth to escape gang violence. We brought youth advisors to educate attendees on ACEs and mental wellness at the Drew League’s weekly games, to directly impact at-risk youth. The campaign worked with the League to film vignette conversations on these topics with notable players.

Results

The Live Beyond campaign successfully increased awareness and engagement across all target demographics. 

• 818MM Total Paid Media Impressions to Youth, Caregivers, and Impacted Communities
  • 1.8MM Drew League Impressions to at risk youth, community caregivers, mentors & coaches. This program concluded in August and exceeded our planned impressions by 80%. 
  • 244MM hyper-targeted Out-of-Home placements on highschool & college campuses, Cinema, Live Nation Concert Venues, Pediatrician Offices, and Low Income 
  • 125MM audio impressions across 80+ California radio stations in both English and Spanish
  • 214MM Social Media impressions across Meta, TikTok, Snapchat, and Reddit
• .37% CTR in Q1, exceeding industry benchmarks by 85%
• The Live Beyond Good Game interview on Twitch in May generated 392,382 total views in celebration for Mental Health month, representing one of the highest levels of live engagement via stream views seen from this program

The campaign’s impact is further evidenced by positive feedback from youth advisors and community partners, highlighting Civilian’s commitment to inclusivity and authenticity in uplifting diverse voices.

Civilian’s Live Beyond campaign exemplifies the power of an integrated approach to public health awareness. By strategically combining paid media, social media, PR, and community engagement, the campaign not only educated Californians about ACEs and toxic stress but also inspired a movement towards resilience and collective healing. 

Media