K2 Zombie DC
Facilitating Crucial Dialogues
The
Situation
Situation
Improving Health
and Emotional Wellbeing
and Emotional Wellbeing
A continued rise in synthetic marijuana use across the District of Columbia warranted an extension of the “K2 Zombie DC: Danger: Fake Weed + U = Zombie” campaign. As the agency responsible for substance abuse prevention, treatment, and recovery services, the DC Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) partnered with Octane to develop new creative concepts for the public awareness campaign.
The
Science
Science
Findings from a report from the DC Prevention Center showed that the average age of a youth synthetic marijuana user in DC is 13 ½ years old.
The
Process
Process
Octane held a series of focus groups to understand youth’s perceptions of K2 and find out which messages would resonate with them.
Key Findings
- K2 is very easy to find and sold at some convenient stores
- Youth on probation use K2 as it is undetectable by drug tests
- The bright packaging is attractive to youth
Goals
- Educate youth and families about the dangers of synthetic marijuana
- Facilitate community action on K2 through youth-led and adult supported prevention strategies
- Provide resources, education and support around fake weed
The Creative
The harmful chemicals in K2 can induce vomiting, agitation, confusion, tremors, seizures and a loss of motor skills. When Octane surveyed DC youth, they could agree on one thing, a zombie was the best metaphor to represent the side effects of using K2.
In 2013 Octane launched the synthetic marijuana campaign, “K2 Zombie DC – Danger: Fake Weed + U = Zombie”. Octane used a brand-new website, social media engagement, Metro and Metro Bus ads, guerrilla marketing, digital ads, and print ads in local newspapers to educate youth about the dangers of K2.
Resource materials were updated and created for the campaign, which included palm cards for parents and youth, discussion guides for parents, and posters. The resource materials were also translated into Spanish, Amharic, and Chinese.
The End Result
Established in May of 2013, the “K2 Zombie DC”website was built to inform and deter DC youth and adults from using fake weed (K2). The site features games, quizzes and resources that coach youth and adults on the dangers of K2.
The
Results
Results
Overall, the campaign received a largely positive response from the community, particularly from parents and caregivers who were not as familiar with synthetic marijuana. This is evidenced by a post-campaign evaluation to measure effectiveness and awareness of “K2 Zombie DC”.
In less than 2 years, “K2 Zombie DC” effectively raised awareness about the dangers of K2 among youth and parents. The results of the post campaign evaluation show:
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