mcgarrybowen Chicago has launched the “Culturally Competent Healthcare” campaign for Howard Brown Health Center, the Chicago-based healthcare center that focuses on eliminating disparities experienced by LGBTQ people and others who are medically underserved in healthcare.
“These ads have an authentic voice and feature vivid images of real people – the very people we help at Howard Brown each and every day. The ads tap into the real world bias that many in the community face when accessing healthcare elsewhere, and will raise awareness about the stigma-free experience they can expect when accessing healthcare and social services at Howard Brown.” – David Ernesto Munar, President and CEO, Howard Brown Health
The “Culturally Competent Healthcare” campaign taps into real world issues and bias that many in the community face when accessing healthcare, while letting the public know that Howard Brown breaks down systemic barriers to healthcare. The creative is unexpected, yet affirming, featuring headlines like, “We won’t put you back in the closet,” “We won’t assume you’re straight,” and “We won’t make you feel invisible.”
“As a queer, non-binary, POC creative, I jumped on this opportunity, no hesitation. We’re always tasked with learning about and taking on the mindset of a target, but we rarely get to just BE the target. Our core team made this work by digging into our own experiences, both the struggles and the celebrations. That is why this work is powerful. And that is why a diverse spectrum of experiences matters.”- Nako Okubo, Creative Director, mcgarrybowen Chicago
The campaign features a transit ad takeover inside four of Chicago’s Red Line “L” train cars, dubbed as the “The Pride Train” during the entire month of June. The exterior of the Pride Train is wrapped in a bright rainbow graphic, sponsored by Howard Brown. Additional ads greet passengers on the platform at several red line stations in the city, as well as on some 77thGarage Bus Lines.
The campaign’s powerful and relatable messaging is informed the agency creative team–many of whom are members of the LGBTQ community themselves. Below are comments about the campaign from mcgarrybowen and Howard Brown.
“We talk at mcgarrybowen about creating ‘work that wins in the world’. I can’t think of anything more reflective of that than connecting with an often-marginalized community in a way that makes them feel truly understood. Those types of wins are really the most important. We were thrilled to have the honor to work with Howard Brown Health to ensure people understand their mission and why it’s so important in the LGBTQIA community and beyond.” – Kurt Fries, Chief Creative Officer, mcgarrybowen Chicago