INFLUENCING
YOUNG ADULTS
WITHOUT
PREACHING.
Ten years of partnership. Nationwide impact. The campaign that proved public health messaging can be both influential and relatable.
THE CHALLENGE
Young adults tune out authority. They smell inauthenticity from a mile away. And when it comes to sexual health, they've heard every scare tactic and bland PSA message before.
The HSE needed to influence behavior, educate on risks, and build awareness around sexual wellbeing. But doing so in a way that felt authentic. The audience was skeptical. The topic was sensitive. The stakes were real.
The challenge was striking a balance between influence and humor, between education and engagement, between serious health outcomes and the reality of how young adults actually communicate.
THE APPROACH
We created a conversation young adults actually wanted to join.
Over 10 years, Headcase has managed a highly successful partnership with the HSE, influencing national strategy and programmes in meaningful ways. At its core, we design and deliver an online and offline sexual health programme combining outreach, education, and awareness.
The strategy centered on going where young adults already are. Wide-reaching third-level partnerships brought the campaign to campuses nationwide. Educational roadshows made sexual health approachable, not awkward. Strategic content for owned and social channels spoke in the language of the audience, not the institution.
Every piece of communication balanced influence with humor. Every activation prioritized authenticity over authority. We drove engagement levels with young adults in a way that was relatable and results-driven, never preachy or out of touch.
THE WORK
Campus Activations & Roadshows
Nationwide educational roadshows brought sexual health conversations directly to third-level students. Interactive experiences, honest discussions, and resources that felt helpful rather than judgmental. Each activation was designed to break down barriers and open up conversations that students might not have elsewhere.
The approach worked because it met young adults where they were, both physically and emotionally. No lecturing. No scare tactics. Just real talk about real health decisions, delivered in a way that respected their intelligence and autonomy.
Content That Connects
Strategic content across owned and social channels spoke directly to young adults in their language. Social media campaigns balanced humor with important health messages. Educational content was shareable, relatable, and actually useful.
The content strategy evolved over a decade, adapting to changing platforms, shifting cultural conversations, and new health priorities. What remained constant was the commitment to authenticity and the refusal to talk down to the audience.
THE RESULTS
Over 10 years, the partnership has influenced national strategy and programmes in meaningful ways. The work is widely recognized as innovative and effective elements of national communications around sexual health, drug awareness, addiction services, cancer control, and healthy eating.
But the real measure of success is the conversations that happened because of this work. The students who sought out resources they wouldn't have otherwise. The behavior changes that reduced risk and improved health outcomes.
Public health campaigns often sacrifice relatability for authority. This one proved you can influence young adults while respecting them. You can deliver serious health messages with humor. You can change behavior without preaching.
“Leaving a positive mark is at the core of what Headcase set out to do. No surprise then, that public health is a space we're so uniquely and powerfully motivated to deliver upon.”
— Andrew Casey, CEO, Headcase