Background:
In the summer of 2023, Zuranolone was approved by the FDA as the first orally available treatment for post-partum depression (PPD). This was a significant milestone, as the only post partum treatments available at the time were IV-based, and could only be administered at a licensed healthcare provider's office. This is a costly and time-consuming burden for women suffering from post-partum depression, and thus not an easily available treatment for an illness 1 out of 8 mothers experience. These statistics are likely lower than the true number, as most women go undiagnosed due to the societal stigma surrounding PPD, and the lack of in-depth diagnosing methods.
The Ask:
Develop a disease-state education campaign with three main goals:
1. Educate women on the severity and commonality of post-partum depression.
2. Eliminate the stigma surrounding post-partum depression, and assure mothers they are not 'bad moms' for feeling this way.
3. Encourage mothers who think they may have post-partum depression to reach out and have an honest conversation with their healthcare provider, and potentially be diagnosed in order to seek appropriate treatment.
I worked on this project with a multidisciplinary team of interns from AbelsonTaylor - though the creative concepts were developed with the amazing Eva Toplewski and Laura Pomilia!
Eva's Website
Eva's Website
1. Hiding in Plain Sight
PPD has a strong stigma associated with it, leaving most women who suffer from it resigned to silence. This is particularly true since Post Partum Depression is largely invisible when it comes to physical symptoms, going undetected by family, friends, and the public.
This concept considers how many women in our lives may suffer from PPD, and reminds those who do suffer from it that they are not alone in their struggle.
Design: Two pink lines, alluding to a pregnancy test. Imagery that is pretty well-known to most people, but now highlighting the women who suffer from its side effect: post partum depression.
This concept considers how many women in our lives may suffer from PPD, and reminds those who do suffer from it that they are not alone in their struggle.
Design: Two pink lines, alluding to a pregnancy test. Imagery that is pretty well-known to most people, but now highlighting the women who suffer from its side effect: post partum depression.
2. What Motherhood "Should" Be
Women are told that motherhood is the most magical time in their lives - but for women suffering from PPD, this is far from the truth, and motherhood is vastly more complicated than we're told. Women who suffer from PPD are susceptible to guilt for not feeling the way they "should" during motherhood. This concept speaks directly to these feelings, and assures women there isn't a 'correct' way to feel, deconstructing the perfect idea of motherhood.
Design: Handwritten words that represent how women "should" feel during motherhood. These are constrasted with a torn image of a mother, highlighting how she actually feels - like she's falling apart, and struggling to put the pieces together. The traditional, college-feel of this design provides a more raw, personal touch to the campaign.
Design: Handwritten words that represent how women "should" feel during motherhood. These are constrasted with a torn image of a mother, highlighting how she actually feels - like she's falling apart, and struggling to put the pieces together. The traditional, college-feel of this design provides a more raw, personal touch to the campaign.
3. Keep the Monsters in the Storybooks
One of the most common staples of childhood are storybooks, with stories of heroes and villains. In real life, mothers with PPD have a new baby to care for while simultaneously fighting their own monsters. This concept aims to show new mothers how to recognize PPD as a villain in their story, encouraging them to reach out for help.
Design: A simple, illustrative style mimicking that of children's storybooks. Mothers can connect with the main character, fighting a 'dragon' representing PPD alongside their support system. The bright, bold colors of this design help capture their attention, and the concept can even be applied to an actual storybook that can be distributed to new mothers.
Design: A simple, illustrative style mimicking that of children's storybooks. Mothers can connect with the main character, fighting a 'dragon' representing PPD alongside their support system. The bright, bold colors of this design help capture their attention, and the concept can even be applied to an actual storybook that can be distributed to new mothers.
4. The Questionnaire
One of the primary ways doctors screen for Post-Partum Depression is with a questionnaire. However, these questionnaires are often to vague and generic to truly establish a woman's likelihood of having or developing PPD. Women who feel guilt or shame from how they feel may also lie when answering, decreasing the efficacy of these questionnaires.
This concept demonstrates that these feelings are complex, and and encourages women to have honest conversations with their doctors to truly explain how they feel.
Design: A simple question from an actual PPD questionnaire, visualizing the vagueness of this screening. This is contrasted with the heavy, hand-written scribble of a mother's chaotic and complex emotions, emphasizing the chaos and fear that these mothers experience.
This concept demonstrates that these feelings are complex, and and encourages women to have honest conversations with their doctors to truly explain how they feel.
Design: A simple question from an actual PPD questionnaire, visualizing the vagueness of this screening. This is contrasted with the heavy, hand-written scribble of a mother's chaotic and complex emotions, emphasizing the chaos and fear that these mothers experience.
Want to see the full creative pitch deck?