Impact
High engagement from the COVID Diaries campaign, especially among Spanish-speaking audiences on Twitter.
A/B testing showed both “free and easy” and “helps fight COVID” messages were equally effective for promoting flu vaccines.
Facebook ads targeting “friends of friends” outperformed standard interest-based targeting.
Local partners used campaign templates and assets to reach rural and underrepresented communities.
Contributed to a broader effort that helped Seattle achieve the lowest COVID-19 death rate among major U.S. cities at the time.
Beyond the numbers
We developed a flexible campaign system — a creative “container” that could hold multiple messages and evolve in real time. This meant that when COVID guidance shifted (e.g., restrictions on holiday gatherings), messaging could pivot overnight without losing brand cohesion or creative quality. That kind of agility was rare at the time and critical for maintaining trust during a fast-moving public health crisis.
Ideas in action
Serving as Creative Director, I led the creative concepting and development of a COVID communications campaign for Public Health – Seattle & King County during the fall and winter of 2020. My work contributed to shaping one of the most effective regional public health responses in the country. I developed an adaptive creative framework that allowed messaging to pivot quickly in response to evolving COVID-19 guidance — such as sudden restrictions around holiday gatherings — while maintaining consistency and clarity. The campaign centered on a multicultural strategy, prioritizing outreach to Pacific Islander, African American, and Spanish-speaking communities through culturally resonant messaging and trusted media partners.
To humanize the public health message, I helped shape the “COVID Diaries” campaign that featured personal stories that reflected the isolation, resilience, and shared experience of the pandemic, helping audiences feel seen and emotionally connected. I also supported rapid audience testing and optimization, using real-time A/B testing on Facebook to refine messaging and discover that “friends of friends” targeting led to stronger engagement than traditional demographic-based approaches. Throughout, I prioritized community empowerment by designing creative templates and assets that local organizations could adapt and share, extending the campaign’s reach and reinforcing trust within the communities most impacted by COVID-19.