Project Strategy & Approach
The construction of “What is Health Worth?” took place during the Marketing Communications Design & Production course taught at University of Kansas during the fall of 2009. The assignment consisted of the creation of a short Public Service Announcement-style video on par with the current healthcare epidemic in America. I initially wanted to focus on the perception of health. If our country is facing a healthcare crisis, why aren’t we taking our health more seriously? Is there something more to his story? Through much research and conversation, I found that health is not a priority to many. We make excuses for our health, whether we blame our genes or our bank accounts, it is always someone else’s fault.
The purpose of “What is Health Worth?” is to remind us to take our health seriously, especially during this time in history. Many times, mothers feel selfish when they take time to exercise or they don’t validate buying organic food because of the expensive stigma it holds. This video will remind them to reconsider what is important in life. Being healthy for their families is by far one of the most important aspects in these women’s lives.
Women will be most affected by the video. A hypothetical woman who embodies the target audience is Sarah. Sarah Dawsonis a 39-year-old mother of three teenage boys and one 10-year-old girl. She received her MBA from University of Iowa, where she met her husband, and they now reside in the suburbs of Minneapolis. Sarah gave up her full-time job in order to stay at home with her children. Because they live off of one income, Sarah holds back on any extra spending. Gym memberships, organic food, and shopping sprees are often overlooked in the Dawson household. Sarah was once an extremely active woman with a lot of her own interests, but as her family grew; her children became her top priority. She would like to excercise more, but her hectic life often overtakes her schedule. She tries to cook as healthy as possible for her family, but resorts to the services of ready made meals once or twice a week.
To pull this project together, I used a combination of Adobe Suite software programs such as Photoshop, Flash and Garage Band. First, I researched photographs that visually represented what was to be said. Then I formatted the pictures in accordance to the appropriate color and font of the text. By using soft color pallets, the message will not come across in an authoritative manner. From there, I used Flash to being in all of the animations. Then I chose from a variety of instrumental clips that paralleled the feeling beind the messaging. The piano creates a sense of comfort while the drum beat adds importance and motivation.
Key Words That Drive The Visual Solution
Worth (noun): The quality that renders something desirable, useful, or valuable
Health (noun): A condition of optimal well-being
Artificial (adjective): Made by humans; produced rather than natural.
Organic (adjective): Raised or conducted without the use of drugs, hormones, or synthetic chemicals
Fitness (noun): Good health or physical condition, especially as the result of exercise and proper nutrition.
What's Your Health Worth?
Desired Outcome
The desired outcome for the “What is Health Worth?” is to make women do a quick reevaluation of their lives and figure out where health plays into it. Is health an issue due to money, time or the combination of the two? I want women to watch this video and remember that the only real cost for our health is, in fact, our health. We only have one life to live on this Earth, so why not do as much as we can to make it a richer, healthier life. By eating organically, we will minimize the unnecessary toxins in our bodies. And by making personal fitness a priority, we will collectively be a much healthier society both mentally and physically.