// 06 — Advertising / Campaign
Stamp Out Stigma
Mental health is just as important as physical health.
// The brief
A national mental health awareness initiative staged in Times Square, designed to spark conversation and reduce stigma around mental illness — reinforcing that mental health matters as much as physical health, and that sharing personal stories helps others feel seen and supported.
// The challenge
A national mental-health awareness effort needed to cut through one of the busiest environments on earth — Times Square — and get people to treat mental health as seriously as physical health, without sensationalizing it.
A large-format, high-visibility placement with only seconds to communicate, a sensitive subject, and a broad, diverse audience moving fast.
// The work
// The mandate
Create out-of-home creative that lands instantly in a fast-moving, high-noise space while carrying real emotional weight.
// John's role
- ↳Directed the campaign concept and messaging
- ↳Designed the out-of-home creative for legibility at a glance
The people behind the work
- ↳Stamp Out Stigma campaign stakeholders
- ↳A collaborative campaign effort
// Key decisions
Clarity over spectacle
Strong typography, restrained color, and honest imagery so the message reads in seconds — without tipping into sensationalism on a sensitive subject.
Put the message where silence usually wins
Placing an honest mental-health message in one of the most public spaces on earth challenges the stigma directly, in front of everyone.
Lead with human emotion
Real stories and grounded imagery over statistics — normalizing the conversation by making it human, not clinical.
// The outcome
- ↳Amplified national mental-health awareness from one of the most public stages in the world — Times Square
- ↳Reinforced a simple, hard message: mental health matters as much as physical health
// Reflection
Putting an honest mental-health message in Times Square was a reminder that clarity and empathy can cut through even the loudest room.