It’s not easy to get High School students’ attention. We had to make them feel like the reality of the fentanyl drug epidemic was personal. So we shocked them with a real-life experience they had to react to in real time. It wasn't just an experience that just taught them about the topic, it was one that involved them. During the pilot effort, the students had no idea they would be taught by former drug dealers. More importantly, they had no idea they would be put to the test to save hypothetical lives that could be real ones in the

Fentanyl accounted for over 67,000 preventable deaths in 2021, a 26% increase from 2020. Among those were many adolescents, for whom fentanyl-related deaths quadrupled from the year before and was often consumed as a pill without the knowledge of the consumer. This brief was born out of a dire need to keep kids alive. We set out to both educate and debunk much of the information that kids had been exposed to when it comes to fentanyl. And by crafting the campaign in a way that was hands-on we were able to achieve an experience for kids that wasn’t just about listening but about learning. During the in-school experience and the evergreen content that came after it, the objectives were that all lessons and each educational touchpoint we created was with one intention in mind: save kids' lives.

Real talk. Fentanyl is killing kids. But no one was really talking to them about it, or knew how. Until now. We tapped the most unexpected, yet most qualified sources — the people who have dealt drugs, asking them to create a curriculum that teaches from an insider’s view of the drug trade. They built lesson plans to educate students about the drug through the lens of their everyday school subjects: Health, Chemistry, and Economics. Then we brought them into the classroom to teach it. Taking over Holyoke High School in Massachusetts for the day, former drug dealers stepped in as teachers–or “Substitute Dealers.” After the pilot event, lessons were edited into social-first content custom-tailored for the digital spaces our audience occupies. Lastly, this robust curriculum was designed open source, and made available for download on RealDealOnFentanyl.com for other educators to teach nationwide.

The target market was young adults ages 14-23. That age range made up 76% of drug overdose deaths involving fentanyl in 2020. However, to get the attention of this very sought after demographic we knew we had to show up where they had to go. High School. We couldn’t just put a campaign out that was targeted to them, but rather one that involved them. In doing so, we captured the hearts and minds of young people by starting where they physically are (school) and ending where they mentally are (social media). This ensured that at some touchpoint we were able to breakthrough and reach them with a vital message about their lives. A message so impactful they were interested in sharing it, allowing this work to reach both ends of the spectrum of the target market.

In addition to the live pilot program at a Massachusetts High School, the work was strategically placed in media that was acutely relevant to where and how young adults consume information. We intentionally crafted and produced this campaign with a social-first approach. Each asset was formatted to live on several different social media platforms including Snap, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, Reddit, Twitch, etc. Additionally, we tapped TikTok influencers well-known for their involvement in drug awareness to spread the word. Overall, we ensured that each asset big or small we put in the world included one actionable piece of information that could potentially save lives.

The campaign got people talking and learning. Traffic to our site beat benchmarks by 340 percent with 1.057M users visiting RealDealOnFentanyl.com to learn about the dangers of fentanyl and how to take action. What’s more, people were eager to help spread our word. Since launch, the campaign has garnered $3.3M in donated media with pickup for all video assets. The donated media outlets include $1.8M in TV with local broadcast and network cable channels, and key support from NFL Network, Revolt TV, and MLB Network. Digital donated media at present is $1.5M with pick-up across all media types including Snap, Twitter, Reddit, and Twitch. Overall, the campaign was overwhelmingly well-received with 85% positive sentiment, outperforming Influential’s benchmark by +4 percentage points.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid used in prescription drugs in the U.S. to treat people in severe pain recovering from major surgeries. Illegally manufactured fentanyl (often consumed as a pill without the knowledge of the consumer) has become an increasingly common cause of overdose deaths. According to the National Safety Council, Fentanyl accounted for over 67,000 preventable deaths in 2021, a 26% increase from 2020. Among those were many adolescents, for whom fentanyl-related deaths quadrupled from the year before.