Making contraceptive choice feel personal

Tried and true, but not for me

While people in Massachusetts have many options for birth control, research shows that many are unfamiliar with the full range, or often feel like their choice is constrained by their providers. Upstream, a national non-profit, trains healthcare practitioners to deliver patient-centered reproductive care that puts individuals – and the lives they lead – first. After a successful workforce training partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, they commissioned Argus to create a public awareness campaign to reset expectations of what contraceptive choice and patient-centered care actually looks like.

Extensive research revealed a complicated marketplace that led people to stick with the first method they tried – often recommended by a provider when they were in their teens. A wide range of physical, emotional, and financial barriers made finding a new method daunting. At the same time, stigma and negative experiences made them skeptical about raising the issue with their practitioners, often over relying on questionable advice from peers or social media.

Services Provided:

• Strategy
• Creative and Design
• Content
• Video/Photography
• Digital
• UX/UI
• Advertising
• Social/Cause Marketing
• Research
• Website

Celebrate your unique you

We saw an opportunity to move the consumer conversation from contraceptive methods to contraceptive care – a small shift that changed the terms of the dialogue and put patient rights front and center. Our position –  “The contraceptive care you deserve” – made it clear that seeking out a provider trained in patient-centered care was not only a good thing: it was worth it.

Our campaign articulated the idea that contraceptive care should take your specific needs into account by using a diverse group of talent being their quirky, fun, and unique selves on camera. Copy revealed how their choice of birth control methods made their lives better and suited their unique lifestyle and situation. The tagline “Only you know you” brought the point home that every individual is different and contraception should always be up to you. To reach our target demographic of reproductive-age women and pregnancy-capable people, the campaign included digital display, social video, OOH, and transit executions, as well as a landing page that made it easy to find Upstream-trained providers across Massachusetts.