Unfinished Legacies

BarkleyOKRP launched a new AI–powered creative campaign, Unfinished Legacies, to combat the growing fentanyl epidemic and raise awareness of lives cut short from accidental overdoses. The campaign uses AI technology and deepfake techniques to recreate the imagine and likeness of three young individuals who mistakenly took pills laced with fentanyl – and died as a result.

Those featured in the ads include:

• Jaden Anderson, a young woman who cared deeply for her family and wanted to become a nurse one day.
• Victor Avalos Marmolejo, a teenager with a big heart who was on track to become a successful entrepreneur.
• Jordan Coburn, a loving young father who left behind a growing family.

Powered by AI and approved by their families, the campaign includes three ads featuring the young individuals as spokespeople, each detailing the regrets of their decision in candid and highly emotional monologues. The families worked closely with BarkleyOKRP to share their stories and humanize the scourge of fentanyl overdoses while demonstrating how the epidemic is taking the lives of people with hopes and dreams. BarkleyOKRP created authentic representations of the deceased by superimposing their image and voice over actors with similar appearances.

The campaign was created for the City of Kansas City and the United Way of Greater Kansas City to bring awareness to the increase in fentanyl-related deaths in the city, which have increased 1,190% in the past five years.

Research conducted by BarkleyOKRP found the target audience for this campaign was 18- to 35-year-olds who regularly listen to and take advice from their peers. They do not want government agencies telling them what to do or not do. That insight led the agency to create an AI-powered campaign featuring Individuals who can share their stories peer-to-peer.

The three Unfished Legacies stories will be released on social media and Spotify, and static versions will be launched across Kansas City’s out of home billboards. BarkleyOKRP will also be using Snapchat and other social media handles of the deceased individuals to bring a peer-to-peer message where the target audience is most likely to see them.

The project was titled Unfinished Legacies to recognize the many individuals who have died because of fentanyl and leave behind families, friends and lives unfinished. It includes the launch of a dedicated website, UnfinishedLegacies.com, to provide resources for those in need.