Octane Case Study

DC Department of Behavioral Health: Opioids Abatement

Health Communications  |  Digital & Performance Marketing  |  Brand Strategy & Impact  |  Creative and Content Development

The Challenge

Like many cities, Washington, D.C. has experienced a rise in opioid use and related deaths. In partnership with the DC Department of Behavioral Health, Octane launched a series of campaigns beginning in 2018 to raise awareness, highlight critical resources, and connect residents to DBH’s opioid response efforts to help combat the epidemic.

Our Approach

Octane's research identified the specific Wards and demographics most affected by opioid overdoses. This foundational data informed culturally competent, targeted messaging in DC wards, leveraging storytelling, guerrilla marketing, branding, multimedia production, websites, social media, and out-of-home advertising.

The Results

In 2024, Opioid deaths in DC fell by almost 37%, breaking a 5-year trend. Octane’s campaigns helped raise city-wide awareness not only of the breadth of the opioid crisis, but of key DBH assets such as Nalaxone training, local prevention centers, and crisis hotlines.

  • Multiple campaigns targeting specific affected demogrpahics
  • Increased awareness and access to key opioid abatement resources
  • Extensive guerrilla marketing and postering in most-affected DC wards
  • Development of a new (2025/2026) centralized website for opioid information and resources

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