IPTV / Unaltered State
The anti-drug campaign that doesn't act like one.
Our Role
Research Analysis & Strategy
Campaign Strategy & Creative Direction
Brand Identity & Design
Integrated Marketing & Communications
Website Design & Development
Content & Video Production
Interactive Digital Storytelling
Media Strategy & Planning
Community Engagement & Activations
Idaho Public Television (IPTV) informs, educates, and connects Idahoans through statewide public media. Funded by the Idaho Millennium Fund, The Unaltered State is a youth substance-use prevention campaign designed to help Idaho teens think critically, make informed decisions, and navigate an increasingly complicated substance landscape. The campaign also gives parents tools to better understand and support their teens.
The Opportunity
The conversation wasn't adding up.
Research revealed a disconnect between what Idaho parents believed they were communicating and what teens were experiencing.
95% OF PARENTS said they'd talked to their kids about substance use.
1 IN 3 TEENS said those conversations weren’t happening.
1 IN 3 PARENTS viewed youth substance use as a rite of passage.
1 IN 3 TEENS + 1 IN 5 PARENTS rated their mental health as fair or worse.
Source: Rathbone Falvey Research, 2025 Idaho parent and teen survey; 2,477 respondents.
Meanwhile, the existing prevention campaign wasn't connecting with teens. Familiar messaging and predictable creative weren't enough to break through.
We needed to close the conversation gap, challenge the idea that substance use is inevitable, and ultimately help reduce youth substance use in Idaho.
WHEN THE OLD MESSAGE STOPS WORKING, IT'S TIME TO CHANGE THE CONVERSATION.
The Solution
Less lecturing. More listening.
We reimagined The Unaltered State around a simple idea:
Make It Make Sense.
Not another lecture. Not another scare tactic.
A campaign that trades warnings for context, exposing the influences, incentives, and misinformation surrounding substance use.
For teens: The information and confidence to think critically and decide for themselves.
For parents: A reason to start talking, keep talking, ask questions, and listen.
The more you know, the harder it is to get played by it.
The Research
Built on Idaho insight. Not assumptions.
Rathbone Falvey Research led a statewide study of 1,625 parents and 852 teens. IPTV brought the findings to Against to translate into a new campaign strategy.
The research helped us define two complementary priorities: earn teens' attention with information that respects their intelligence, and equip parents to have more informed, meaningful conversations.
The result was a teen-first campaign with a parent-support strategy—not one generic prevention message for everyone.
Not Another Drive-By Billboard
Creative designed to make people look twice.
We didn't want to create another anti-drug campaign people could ignore.
We wanted people to look twice. Think. Question. Talk.
We developed a bold new creative platform, anchored by a signature blue asterisk and unexpected messaging designed to challenge assumptions rather than deliver another warning.
The campaign came to life across out-of-home, digital out-of-home, radio, broadcast, connected TV, streaming, and paid social. Against led much of the media strategy, partnering with Guy Rome for media buying and placement.
The conversation itself became part of the campaign.
Teen-First. Parent-Supported.
Different audiences. Different ways in.
For teens, we produced seven Reels featuring real Idaho teens and three social carousels designed to provoke thought and encourage critical thinking.
For parents, we developed eight interactive scrollytelling experiences, a practical conversation guide, and resources to help navigate timely substance-use topics.
A redesigned website connected the content, giving both audiences a place to find context, answers, and tools to continue the conversation.
Beyond the Billboard
Bringing the conversation into Idaho communities.
We developed a community engagement strategy designed to move the campaign beyond paid media and into everyday life.
Stickers, merchandise, branded air fresheners, and other unexpected takeaways gave the campaign a physical presence.
Mini-mic interviews invited teens to share their own perspectives, while concepts like Make ____ Make Sense created opportunities for community-led participation.
Less passive awareness. More opportunities to engage.
The Results
It's getting people to look twice. And think.
July–mid-October 2026
47.9M
Impressions delivered
69.1%
Teen video view rate on Spotify.
+19.7%
More impressions than the previous campaign benchmark.
87.6%
Parent video completion rate on Spotify.
−21.3%
Lower cost per 1,000 impressions compared with the previous campaign.
2.1×
Snapchat click-through benchmark.
And the response goes beyond media metrics.
After seeing an Unaltered State billboard, one Idaho teen told their mother:
“Mom, you haven't talked to us about drugs.”
What followed was a conversation about vaping at school, peer pressure, and fentanyl—topics the parent hadn't realized were already part of her child's world.
Her response?
“It's working.”
The campaign has demonstrated reach and encouraging engagement. Follow-up research will help measure its longer-term impact on attitudes, decisions, and youth substance use.