Overview
Wounded Warrior Project is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization headquartered in Jacksonville, FL with additional program offices located in New York City and Washington D.C. WWP was founded in Roanoke, Virginia by a group of veterans and friends who took action to help the injured service men and women of this generation. Their innovative programs and outreach efforts continue to expand. The four main focus areas of their programming are Mind, Body, Economic Empowerment, and Engagement. Under each of these headings, there are a variety of programs to meet needs ranging from benefit assistance to PTSD identification.
PTSD (or post traumatic stress disorder) is one of the leading medical issues that veterans returning from war in Afghanistan and Iraq are likely to face.
Challenge
Spreading the word about a little understood disorder like PTSD is a difficult task, as it is not a tangible malady. The aim here is to inform the public on the staggering number of returning soldiers suffering from this life-changing disorder.
Solution
The easiest way to convey the idea of a mental condition is to try and put the viewer into the shoes of someone suffering from the disorder. The premise behind this campaign is to inform the civilian public, while making them feel for these afflicted soldiers. By showing easily recognizable weapons of warfare, the connotation of combat-related ptsd is established, while the direct taglines, like “imagine not knowing when you will re-live the worst day of your life,” put the viewer into the mindset of what it’s like to live with ptsd. The textures and type utilized are grungy and dirty, reflecting the soiled quality of the lives of those suffering from ptsd on a continued basis.
