Florida Department of Health
Know Your HIV Status” Statewide Movement
A culturally driven campaign guiding Florida’s minority communities from testing to living fully.
Challenge & Audience Landscape
Florida’s HIV infection rates have been steadily climbing among underserved and minority populations, creating an urgent need for culturally resonant outreach. The Florida Department of Health (FDOH) enlisted Evok to amplify prevention programs across Hispanic, African American, and Haitian Creole communities—groups that together account for over 40 percent of the state’s residents but bear a disproportionate share of new infections. We zeroed in on Florida’s six largest DMAs (Miami-Dade, Broward, Orlando, Tampa/St. Pete, Jacksonville, and West Palm Beach), where densely multicultural neighborhoods and transit-reliant daily routines both complicate and amplify the opportunity to connect with at-risk audiences.
Deep-Dive Research ,
& Psychographic Segmentation
Before a single billboard went up, the team and myself immersed ourself in the lived experiences of these priority groups. Through ethnographic interviews, focus groups, and co-creation workshops, we sat side by side with community members—like a Cuban American mother in Orlando who feared judgment at her local clinic, and a young Haitian Creole speaker in Miami searching for prevention options but unsure where to begin. We mapped their media routines (from WhatsApp chats to church bulletin boards), unpacked generational attitudes toward sexual health, and identified the aspirational threads that wove through each culture. These psychographic profiles allowed us to trans-culture every element—from idiomatic phrasing to visual cues—so that the combined “Know Your HIV Status” and “I Live Fully” narrative felt authentic from the first impression.
Deep-Dive Research ,
& Psychographic Segmentation
Before a single billboard went up, Evok’s team immersed itself in the lived experiences of these priority groups. Through ethnographic interviews, focus groups, and co-creation workshops, we sat side by side with community members—like a Cuban American mother in Orlando who feared judgment at her local clinic, and a young Haitian Creole speaker in Miami searching for prevention options but unsure where to begin. We mapped their media routines (from WhatsApp chats to church bulletin boards), unpacked generational attitudes toward sexual health, and identified the aspirational threads that wove through each culture. These psychographic profiles allowed us to trans-culture every element—from idiomatic phrasing to visual cues—so that the combined “Know Your HIV Status” and “I Live Fully” narrative felt authentic from the first impression.
Campaign Foundation
& Behavior-Change Model
Armed with three guiding insights—“Protection Becomes Empowerment,” “Confidence Drives Action,” and “Authentic Voices Build Trust”—we constructed a phased behavior-change funnel. In Year 1 (2017), we unleashed a crisp testing call-to-action: “Get Tested. Know Your HIV Status. Learn What’s Next.” Year 2 deepened the conversation with PrEP education. By 2019, Treatment as Prevention (U = U) joined the mix, and we invited real people to share “I Protect Myself” testimonials that bridged information with inspiration. Finally, in 2022, we threaded all prior phases into the aspirational “I Live Fully” banner—transforming HIV prevention from a duty into a declaration of self-determination. Each evolution centered on individual agency, urging audiences first to own their health data, then to own their future
Integrated, Transcultural Execution
To bring both “Know Your HIV Status” and “I Live Fully” to life statewide, we deployed hair-on-fire creative across every channel. Geo-targeted bus shelters, digital billboards, and transit wraps delivered high-impact imagery to commuters; more than 180 testimonial videos and programmatic ads ran on social platforms and dating apps; radio and TV PSAs aired in English, Spanish, and Creole; and “Protect Yourself” kits distributed at health fairs and churches provided tangible tools alongside messaging. At the campaign’s heart sat a bilingual microsite—KnowYourHIVStatus.com—offering an interactive testing-site locator, how-to videos, and live chat support. In 2022 alone, our integrated plan drove over 226 million digital impressions and 55.6 million out-of-home impressions, exceeding targets by nine- and twofold, respectively.
Ongoing Optimization & Community Impact
No campaign was ever “set and forget.” We used real-time dashboards and A/B testing to tweak copy, swap visuals, and reallocate media hours in response to community feedback and performance data. Social listening uncovered emerging concerns—so we evolved from fear-based to joy-infused creative and amplified underrepresented voices. The result was a 1,750 percent over-goal surge in site visits (133,572 in 2022) and a measurable reduction in stigma across our target audiences. By weaving together the practical urgency of “Know Your HIV Status” with the uplifting promise of “I Live Fully,” Evok and FDOH didn’t just deliver information—they ignited a true statewide movement that educates, empowers, and ultimately saves lives.
Campaign Foundation & Behavior-Change Model
We anchored the movement on three core insights—Protection as Empowerment, Confidence Driving Action, and Authentic Representation—structuring a phased, behavior-change funnel:
- Awareness (2017): “Get tested. Know Your HIV Status. Learn what’s next.”
- Education (2018–19): Layer in PrEP details and Treatment as Prevention (U = U).
- Activation (2020–22): Introduce “I Live Fully” as the aspirational evolution—shifting the narrative from “protect yourself” to “claim your life.”
By 2022, “I Live Fully” became the rallying cry—reminding people that knowing their status is the first step to living confidently, free from fear and full of possibility.
Campaign Foundation
& Behavior-Change Model
We anchored the movement on three core insights—Protection as Empowerment, Confidence Driving Action, and Authentic Representation—structuring a phased, behavior-change funnel:
- Awareness (2017): “Get tested. Know Your HIV Status. Learn what’s next.”
- Education (2018–19): Layer in PrEP details and Treatment as Prevention (U = U).
- Activation (2020–22): Introduce “I Live Fully” as the aspirational evolution—shifting the narrative from “protect yourself” to “claim your life.”
By 2022, “I Live Fully” became the rallying cry—reminding people that knowing their status is the first step to living confidently, free from fear and full of possibility.
Test, Talk. Take Control.
Ultimately, our partnership with FDOH proved that when you blend data-driven strategy with culturally authentic storytelling—and balance a clear call to action (“Know Your HIV Status”) with an uplifting promise (“I Live Fully”)—you can turn public health messaging into a genuine movement. What began as a targeted prevention campaign has evolved into a statewide cultural shift: conversations around HIV are more open, testing rates have climbed, and communities feel empowered to own their health and their stories.
This case demonstrates that empathy, experimentation, and relentless optimization don’t just move metrics—they change lives. As we look ahead, the “Know Your HIV Status” and “I Live Fully” framework will continue to guide our work, inspiring new initiatives that meet people where they are and help them live their fullest, healthiest lives.
Creative Credit Notice: All featured work was created by Christopher Coppola during his tenure at evok advertising. Full rights remain with Evok Advertising and their respective clients. This site serves as a personal showcase of professional contributions only.