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. TThrough ethnographic interviews, focus groups, and co-creation workshops, we engaged in conversations with community members, such as a Cuban American mother in Orlando who feared judgment at her local clinic, and a young Haitian Creole speaker in Miami who sought prevention options but was unsure of where to start. 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 transculturally adapt every aspect, from idiomatic expressions to visual cues, ensuring that the integrated “Know Your HIV Status” and “I Live Fully” narrative resonated authentically from the very first encounter.
Campaign Foundation
& Behavior-Change Model
We built the campaign around three core insights: protection becomes empowerment, confidence drives action, and authentic voices build trust. Those principles guided every creative and strategic decision, especially within a shifting political and cultural landscape where public health messaging around HIV was increasingly scrutinized, polarized, and, at times, deprioritized. Rather than retreating to neutral language, the work leaned into clarity, dignity, and personal agency.
From there, we mapped a phased behavior-change funnel designed to meet people where they were. In Year 1, we launched with a direct, no-nonsense message: “Get Tested. Know Your HIV Status. Learn What’s Next.” In Year 2, the campaign expanded into PrEP education, shifting the conversation from awareness to viable options at a time when misinformation and access barriers were rising. By 2019, we introduced Treatment as Prevention (U = U), grounding the science in humanity by featuring real people in “I Protect Myself” testimonials that connected facts with lived experience.
In 2025, we brought everything together under one aspirational platform: “I Live Fully.” This final phase responded to a moment when individual autonomy, bodily agency, and trust in institutions were under renewed pressure. HIV prevention was reframed not as compliance or obligation, but as self-determination. A declaration of control, confidence, and the right to live fully on one’s own terms.
Each step centered on personal agency. First, take ownership of your health data. Then, take control of your future.
Integrated, Transcultural Execution
To bring both “Know Your HIV Status” and “I Live Fully” to life across Florida, we launched bold, high-intensity creative across every channel. Geo-targeted bus shelters, digital billboards, and transit wraps delivered striking visuals to commuters. More than 180 testimonial videos and programmatic ads ran across social platforms and dating apps. Radio and TV PSAs aired in English, Spanish, and Creole. “Protect Yourself” kits were handed out at health fairs and churches, pairing practical tools with clear messaging.
At the center of it all was a bilingual microsite, KnowYourHIVStatus.com, featuring an interactive testing-site locator, how-to videos, and live chat support.
In 2022 alone, the campaign generated over 226 million digital impressions and 55.6 million out-of-home impressions—surpassing our targets by nine times and two times, respectively.
Ongoing Optimization & Community Impact
No campaign was ever set and forget. We used real-time dashboards and A/B testing to refine copy, adjust visuals, and shift media placements based on performance and community feedback. Social listening surfaced new concerns, which pushed us to evolve the creative—from fear-based messaging to work that centered joy, pride, and representation. We amplified voices that had long been overlooked.
The results were undeniable. Site visits surged 1,750 percent over goal, reaching 133,572 in 2022. We saw a measurable drop in stigma among our target audiences.
By combining the urgency of “Know Your HIV Status” with the optimism of “I Live Fully,” Evok and FDOH didn’t just inform. We built a statewide movement that educates, empowers, and saves lives.
Campaign Foundation & Behavior-Change Model
We anchored the movement on three core insights: Protection as Empowerment, Confidence Driving Action, and Authentic Representation. These insights structured 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 fundamental insights: Protection as Empowerment, Confidence Driving Action, and Authentic Representation. These insights guided the development of 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, the phrase “I Live Fully” emerged as a rallying cry, serving as a reminder that understanding one’s current circumstances is the initial step towards living with confidence, free from fear, and brimming with potential.
Test, Talk. Take Control.
Ultimately, our partnership with FDOH demonstrated that when you combine data-driven strategy with culturally authentic storytelling—and strike a balance between a clear call to action (“Know Your HIV Status”) and an uplifting promise (“I Live Fully”)—you can transform public health messaging into a genuine movement. What started as a targeted prevention campaign has evolved into a statewide cultural shift: conversations about HIV have become more open, testing rates have increased, and communities feel empowered to take control of their health and their narratives.
This case illustrates that empathy, experimentation, and relentless optimization don’t merely improve metrics; they have the power to change lives. As we move forward, the “Know Your HIV Status” and “I Live Fully” framework will continue to guide our work, inspiring new initiatives that resonate with people where they are and help them live their fullest, healthiest lives.
Award Winning Creative
The “I Live Fully” campaign has delivered measurable impact and earned top industry recognition, including the Angel Award for Excellence in Public Service Advertising and a Gold Healthcare Digital Marketing Award. Developed for the Florida Department of Health, the campaign helped reduce stigma, increase HIV testing, and drive real behavior change through culturally relevant storytelling and a digital-first strategy designed to meet people where they are. The awards recognize not just creative execution, but a proven ability to turn insight, empathy, and performance marketing into outcomes that matter.
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.