The campaign works with cities across seven states to promote naloxone access and reduce overdose deaths in Black communities
Nov. 18, 2025 (New York)—Vital Strategies’ “You Have the Power to Save Lives,” the first-ever national media campaign focused on reducing overdose deaths in Black communities, won three silver awards in the 2025 Anthem Awards: Non-Profit Campaign (Health), National Awareness Campaign (Health) and Community Engagement (Health). In March 2025, the campaign launched in seven cities across seven states in the United States, in collaboration with community leaders, city agencies, and other critical partners to raise awareness and promote access to naloxone in Black communities. We want to specifically thank the Elton John AIDS Foundation, National Black Harm Reduction Network, Ghost Note Agency, AAmplify Media, Zebra Strategies, Frisby & Associates, and Sharda Sekaran Consulting who helped inform and shape the campaign, in front of and behind the camera.
Across the United States, overdose deaths decreased in 2024 by nearly 27% from the previous year—a massively positive development. But the United States still loses more than 80,000 people every year, and Black and Indigenous communities continue to be disproportionately affected by high rates of overdose death.
“Our campaign was successful because it built on the strength of local networks and partnerships in each city. We featured community leaders such as parents and pastors to share the message, and relied on city agencies to strengthen local access, to get naloxone in the hands of those who need it,” said Daliah Heller, Vice President for Overdose Prevention Initiatives at Vital Strategies. “We made the campaign sustainable by developing ready-to-use assets for others to take up, and already we’ve seen more cities expanding the reach and visibility of naloxone access in Black communities across the country, which is exactly what we hoped to inspire. We are honored by the Anthem Awards’ recognition of this campaign and hope it will encourage others to join this life-saving effort.”
“People who saw the campaign were at least five times more likely to carry naloxone according to our surveys, and three times more likely to know where to get it,” said Nandita Murukutla, Vice President of Communications Research at Vital Strategies. “These shifts demonstrate the power of strategic communication to catalyze real behavior change. Achieving this level of impact in just three months—especially in such a crowded media environment—underscores the effectiveness of a thoughtful, multi-channel approach across digital, radio, outdoor, and community partnerships.”
The major communications campaign ran from March to June in cities where overdose deaths are disproportionately high in Black communities. It includes a comprehensive ad buy, video testimonials and social digital assets, complemented by partnerships with civic, community and local government. To date, the campaign has generated over 32 million total impressions, nearly 1.5 million video views and hundreds of media hits nationwide.
“This has been a challenging year for the impact sector, but the Winners of the 5th Annual Anthem Awards have shown their resilience and continued commitment to a better tomorrow,” said Patricia McLoughlin, Anthem Awards General Manager. “This year’s winners are a source of hope, and I am excited to celebrate their work with the world today.”
The 5th Annual Anthem Awards received more than 2,000 submissions from 42 countries worldwide. By amplifying the voices that spark global change, the Anthem Awards are defining a new benchmark for impactful work that inspires others to take action in their communities.
Visit Anthem Awards for a complete list of winners.
Learn more about the campaign here.
About Vital Strategies
Vital Strategies is a global health organization that believes every person should be protected by a strong public health system. Our overdose prevention program works to strengthen and scale evidence-based, data-driven policies and interventions to create equitable and sustainable reductions in overdose deaths in several U.S. states and local jurisdictions.
To find out more, please visit www.vitalstrategies.org or follow us on LinkedIn.
About The Anthem Awards
Launched in 2021 by The Webby Awards, The Anthem Awards honors the purpose & mission-driven work of people, companies and organizations worldwide. By amplifying the voices that spark global change, we’re defining a new benchmark for impactful work that inspires others to take action in their own communities. The Anthem Awards honors work across seven core causes: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging; Education, Art & Culture; Health; Human & Civil Rights; Humanitarian Action & Services; Responsible Technology; and Sustainability, Environment & Climate. This season’s partners and sponsors include AARP, Sustainable Brands, NationSwell, The Bloom, the Social Innovation Summit and TheFutureParty. The Awards were founded in partnership with the Ad Council, Born This Way Foundation, Feeding America, GLAAD, Mozilla, NAACP, NRDC, WWF, and XQ.
About The Webby Awards
Hailed as the “Internet’s highest honor” by The New York Times, The Webby Awards is the leading international awards organization honoring excellence on the Internet, including Websites and Mobile Sites; Video; Advertising; Media & PR; Apps & Software; Social; Podcasts; Games and AI, Metaverse & Virtual. Established in 1996, The Webby Awards received nearly 13,000 entries from all 50 states and over 70 countries worldwide this year. The Webby Awards are presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS). Sponsors and Partners of The Webby Awards include WP Engine, LinkedIn, Meltwater, NAACP, KPMG, Wall Street Journal, Vox Media, Deadline, AdAge, TechCrunch, The Hollywood Reporter, The Hustle, Morning Brew, Passionfruit, Embedded, Link in Bio, Creator Economy NYC, Creator Spotlight, AIGA, Vote Save America, and The Publish Press.
Contact: Tony Newman: tnewman@vitalstrategies.org 646-335-5384