Projects

Times of stress and uncertainty can lead to poor choices. This campaign for Ventura County Behavioral Health encourages people to pay attention to habits they may be developing while passing time at home.

In urgent response to a fast-moving vaping epidemic, Idea Engineering was asked to create a website warning of the known and unknown dangers of vaping. Research and consultation were fast-tracked for an online campaign, with an easily updatable website and supporting print and presentation materials.

In a world of rampant growth and globalization, American Riviera Bank seeks to be a “True Community Bank.” Spots were created showing a bank that invests in relationships and the communities it serves.

Our client had an in-house newsletter that was largely unread and had difficulty getting physician buy-in for content submission. We created an engaging health magazine focused on patient information and outcomes. It led to a significant increase in new patient sign-ups and a waiting list for physicians to submit content.

Raffa was a large Washington, DC based financial services firm that was looking to differentiate itself from the pack. Most proposals from such firms look the same and sound the same. Also, it is easy to develop the impression that, because so much of the work, such as audit and accounting, would seem to be “zeroes and ones,” that pretty much any firm would come up with the same answer to “two plus two.” As we dug into the work, it became quickly apparent that there were significant differences between Raffa and their competition.

The goal here was to target young men 18-34 and remind them of the perils of being intoxicated (via alcohol and/or marijuana) and driving. We used an iconic hip-hop song and reminded viewers that there were so many great ways to pass the day – but if you consume, you need to get a ride home. No guilt, no threat, just a practical reminder.

We were asked to help ease the stigma around the opioid crisis and particularly around treating overdosing addicts with life-saving naloxone – often repeatedly. We reminded the community that addicts are real people with real relationships and very often became addicts after being prescribed opioids – thus turning “them” into “us.”

In the reality of Proposition 64, legalizing marijuana to the general public, we were asked to create a website where parents and caregivers of kids and young adults under 25 could get unbiased, scientifically-based information about marijuana. Marijuana has distinct, different and potentially deleterious effects on young people, and we created a place to house the latest research that would be updated on a regular basis.

We are in a crisis of middle-aged male suicide. The Gatekeepers project turns bartenders into front-line troops waging the battle against suicide. Bartenders were asked to be alert to patrons displaying warning signs such as drinking alone, only looking at phone and other isolating behaviors. The end goal was to get patrons to call a suicide prevention hotline. This California Mental Health Services Act Innovation Project was developed for Ventura County Behavioral Health.

No part of the safe Rx conversation can be the responsibility of little kids. To them pills are not pills, they are candy. And no kid is going to ignore candy. We reminded parents and caregivers of this fact and that pills need kid-proof storage and sensible handling.

Friday Night Live approached Idea Engineering with an exciting challenge: create an easy to follow program that could be unfolded at FNL programs state-wide with the goal to have young people feel prepared and empowered to make a difference around underage drinking. The program that IE created, Not on My Watch, did just that.

We were asked by our client to help them reach monolingual Spanish-speakers including many migrant workers, to educate them that drinking beer and driving is against the law in the US. Taking cultural cues, education levels and other demographics and psychographics into consideration, we produced a fotonovela telling the story of Paco’s DUI.

The Santa Barbara Regional Health Authority was asked to take over their struggling sister-organization in San Luis Obispo County. Thus, a name change was needed. Recognizing the stigma that may accompany presenting a public insurance card, Idea Engineering worked to come up with a name that felt as natural to the clients and doctors as any commercial health plan.

As a result of COVID-19, stress levels are at an all-time high for many people. We expanded a suicide prevention campaign we had previously developed and used it to remind people that it is OK to feel sad and concerned, but if it becomes too much, then it is time to reach out for help.