988 Colorado
Mental Health Line

The Colorado Behavioral Health Administration (BHA) partnered with Amélie to bring the national 988 brand to life at the state level, creating and evolving a unique identity for the 988 Colorado Mental Health Line. Our mission was twofold: introduce a brand-new crisis line to Colorado and ensure it resonated deeply with the diverse communities it aimed to serve. The challenge lay not only in building awareness for an unfamiliar three-digit number but in establishing credibility and trust among audiences who have often felt unseen or unsupported by traditional mental health systems.

When 988 launched, awareness across Colorado was staggeringly low with only 5% of residents recognizing the number as a mental health resource. Beyond general visibility, Amélie had to overcome deep-seated stigma and unique barriers faced by Colorado’s priority populations: rural residents, LGBTQIA2S+ individuals, youth, veterans, Black and Latinx communities, and New Americans. With 988 consolidating with the well-established Colorado Crisis Services (CCS) line, this campaign had to educate, reassure, and drive meaningful behavioral change across diverse communities statewide.

To build awareness and trust, we created an inclusive, equity-driven campaign rooted in the experiences of real people and emotional connection. Our first priority was establishing a clear brand identity, informed by an in-depth review of the national 988 brand and other states’ visual strategies. Our approach was strongly informed by audience research within the state and thorough creative testing. The resulting look and feel draws from the national color palette and incorporates a repeating 988 pattern, subtly reinforcing mnemonic recognition in a visually engaging way. Our creative kicked things off with two anthem spots: “I,” using first-person language to highlight the many reasons to seek 988’s support, and “Numerous,” which employed a numerical theme to illustrate problem and solution. These OTT spots were designed to stand out by staying calm, using softness and simplicity to cut through the noise of a highly stimulating TV environment.

We continued production with authentic storytelling in :30s videos like “Real People,” “Your Story,” and “I’m Fine,” showing what support from 988 looks like in a genuine style that amplified approachability. Broad awareness media was layered with tailored outreach to priority populations through culturally relevant creative, geotargeting, and multilingual assets. We developed youth-focused content with retro visuals and digital-first messaging, and launched experiential activations like 988 Colorado Radio and “Lounge” events to extend the brand in real life. A robust earned, owned, and paid media mix ensured consistent statewide visibility, all reinforcing one message: support is free, safe, and always available. Finally, our in-house team designed and launched the 988 Colorado website to align with the brand, creating a digital experience centered on accessibility, empathy, and ease of use.Every element, from the calming color palette to the intuitive navigation, was intentionally crafted to reduce friction and anxiety—creating a reassuring space that helps people take the next step toward help.

When conceptualizing an activation for the 988 Colorado brand, Amélie set out to create something people could feel, not just see. After exploring tangible, immersive ideas, our team realized the most powerful activation wouldn’t just offer a fleeting escape, but a lasting tool for calm. 988 Colorado Radio was born – a four-hour loop of engineered relaxation audio. Our in-house art and animation team paired it with tranquil visuals to complete the experience. The compilation lives on YouTube so users can decompress at home or on-the-go. In addition to its launch, the 988 Colorado Listening Lounge visited various live events around Colorado, offering people to step out of overstimulating environments and enjoy a moment of calmness.

Total Impressions: 218M+ delivered — 26% above goal (originally planned 173M).

• Overdelivery driven by added value in Broadcast TV, Out-of-Home, and efficiencies in Paid Social.
• Increased awareness of 988 Colorado by 80% in the first six months.
• Raised the share of people reporting no barriers to using 988 from 20% to 33%.
• Boosted positive perception of 988 by 20% after respondents viewed one of our ads.

Website Impact:

• 195,585 sessions tracked, with traffic spikes aligning to major tactics such as radio, TV, and Meta.

Audience Engagement:

• Spanish-language efforts performed strongly, particularly on Snapchat and radio.
• BIPOC audiences engaged effectively through OTT placements.

Media Strategy Success:

A balanced mix of traditional and digital media ensured 988 stayed visible, accessible, and relevant statewide—reaching the people of Colorado where and when they needed it most.