"Any city, however small,
is in fact, divided into two:
one the city of the poor,
the other of the rich..."
—Plato
Redefining the brand
that is redefining health care
- Prescribing a home & support system
- Making essential medications free
- Curbing childhood obesity with milk fat
- Creating Indigenous-led wellness advocates
- Reducing opioid overdose deaths through treatment as prevention
The scientists at the Centre for Urban Health Solutions have no shortage of innovative ways to improve the lives of people experiencing marginalization. What they lacked was a compelling brand story, a memorable name, and the means to make it meaningful.
The tide that lifts all boats
We found that C-UHS’ interdisciplinary scientists were actually on a mission to improve the health of everyone who lived in cities by helping disadvantaged people.
Socioeconomic disparities account for approximately 20% of Canada’s 200 billion annual health care budget. By simply helping those in need and, in time, eliminating recurring health problems among lower-income Canadians, everyone’s health would benefit.
Taking a step back to get a closer look
Unlike common associations with science: specializations, labs, lengthy clinical trials, C-UHS studies an issue by first looking at the big picture—the social determinates of health that lead to, connect or fuel it. They find new, unexplored routes to solutions. Then they conduct their interventions, not in a lab, but “on the street”—in the day-to-day lives of marginalized people—with the help of community partners. In essence, they work at the intersection of health and poverty.
With these insights, we developed their new brand position, name and logo:
Brand Purpose
Create a healthier future for all.
Brand Vision
Together, we will build the world's healthiest cities.
Marketing Platform
At the intersection
of health & poverty.
We rebranded C-UHS to MAP: a name that represented their big picture approach, street-level solutions, and ambition to find new ways toward a healthier future for all.
Making others' problems, personal
To launch MAP and the work of its renowned scientists, we created an immersive exhibit that put potential donors and everyday Canadians at the intersection of health and poverty.
Attendees were introduced to six real Canadians whose health had been impacted by poverty. Secondary panels featured each person's story—written from the second-person point of view—and a summary of the respective MAP scientist's proposed solution.
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Interrupt Chronic Homelessness
The Assertive PRImary Care Outreach Team
Dr. Stephen Hwang, Director
Transitioning Youth Out of Homelessness
Dr. Naomi Thulien
About 35,000 people have no place to call home in Canada on any given night. Tragically, one in five is between the ages of 16 and 24. No support team exists to help homeless people transition to housing or get the outgoing care they need.
Both Dr. Hwang and Dr. Thulien's solutions were to create transition teams to help adults and youth escape homelessness and receive ongoing medical and mental health care, addiction services, and mentorships necessary to thrive.
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We created a cardboard shelter covered in hash marks to symbolize how life on the street is like a prison sentence due to the lack of transitional support.
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Remove Barriers
to Essential Medications
Prescriptions for Health
Dr. Nav Persaud
Canada is the only high-income country where the publicly funded health care system doesn’t include prescription medications for outpatients. Research shows that 2.4 million Canadians don’t take their medication because they can’t afford it.
Dr. Nav Persuad’s solution: conduct clinical trials comparing the health of those given free medications with those who have to pay for them. He and his team had already identified 140 essential medicines that, if provided free of charge to all Canadians, would save the system $3 billion a year.
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We invited attendees to make the same choice that millions of Canadians face: essential medication or food. No matter what they chose, they lost.
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Advance Indigenous Health in Urban Homelands
Baby Bundles
Dr. Patricia O’Campo,
Dr. Janet Smylie,
Dr. Michelle Firestone, Sara Wolfe
The disparity between Indigenous and non- Indigenous Canadians is a result of historical and ongoing colonial systems. Nowhere is the issue more alarming than among pregnant Indigenous people. Only 61% of urban Indigenous people receive adequate prenatal care compared to 95% in the general population.
The doctors' solution was a three-year research project to show the effectiveness and feasibility of providing Indigenous families with
a dedicated wellness advocate aid in navigating health and social services.
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Attendees assumed the role of a wellness advocate and joined hands with the family. In doing so, the attendees created and closed a circuit, triggering the video to play.
Disrupt the Opioid Crisis
Addictions Care Continuum
Dr. Dan Werb
More people are dying of opioid overdoses in Canada than ever before. While Fentanyl is seen as the chief culprit, there is something else at play that is much more potent—stigma.
Dr. Werb's solution is a treatment-as-prevention approach by creating a continuum of care:
drug testing; supervised injection to prevent overdoses; treatment to reduce drug addiction; and effective drug policies based on the data collected.
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We used light and audio to reveal the hidden ingredient found in street drugs. Attendees were asked to step inside and lower the inner cube around themselves. A black-light flashlight, allowed them to reveal a hidden cityscape and messages:
"See people who use drugs for who they truly are people."
"Kicking the stigma can be as hard as kicking the habit."
Intervene Early for a Lifetime of Health for Children
CoMFORT: Intervening Early to Prevent Obesity
Dr. Jonathon Maguire
Childhood obesity has increased dramatically over the last few years, especially among disadvantaged children. When families struggle to put food on the table, cheap can win out over healthy. The consequences are long-term physical and mental health problems, such as obesity, behaviour problems and poor school performance.
Dr. Maguire's solution was to test whether whole milk (3.25%) may moderate childhood obesity among low-income families by replacing less healthy food.
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A 25 million dollar success
The exhibit captured new and existing private donors' hearts and minds, helping MAP reach its ambitious fundraising goal.
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Agency
Jackman
Client
MAP
Brand Team
Creative Director: Deric Moore
Copywriter: Deric Moore
Logo Designer: Pearce Cacalda
Activation Director: Marisa Harris
Studio: Rob Snider
Exhibit Team
Creative Director: Deric Moore
Copywriter: Deric Moore / Kurt Hagen
Designer: Iwona Sowinski
Activation Director: Marisa Harris
Studio: Chris Barany
Production Studio: MassivArt
©2022 'til infinity