The Ad Council is a nonprofit organization that creates and promotes PSAs leveraging the power of communications to tackle the nation’s most critical social issues through innovative media campaigns.

 “Taking Care of Us” is a mental health PSA aimed at the LGBTQ+ community. Over 6 months I worked as creative lead with DeutschLA developing the campaign billboards, banners, and digital placements in addition to directing the hero films.

It was a tall order to discuss mental health – a largely interior struggle – in 30-60 seconds, let alone for an audience defined by its diversity & intersectionality. I grounded the piece in a shared psychological truth: many of us learned to hide parts of ourselves early on, and that weight can last a lifetime. But a sense of community can reframe the struggle – taking care of me is taking care of us.