ADC Awards
ADC Annual Awards is the oldest continuously running industry award show in the world, with an incredible legacy of over 100 years. These awards celebrate the very best in advertising, digital media, graphic and publication design, packaging and product design, motion, experiential and spatial design, photography, illustration and fashion design – all with a focus on artistry and craftsmanship.
Category
Advertising / Out of Home
Annual ID
ADC105_HTW002G
Background
In America, your life expectancy can change by more than a decade simply by crossing a street. Adjacent zip codes—separated by rail lines, highways, and most of all, invisible economic borders—show life expectancy gaps of up to 14 years between people living in bordering neighborhoods. These disparities are not the result of genetics or personal choice, but systemic inequities: housing instability, food deserts, transit gaps, underfunded schools, and limited access to care.
Equality Health Foundation works inside underserved communities to close these gaps. But awareness of health inequity has become abstract—reduced to statistics, reports, and policy language. Meanwhile, public trust in institutions is eroding.
The challenge: Make systemic inequality feel immediate, local, and undeniable—and give communities a way to respond.
Equality Health Foundation works inside underserved communities to close these gaps. But awareness of health inequity has become abstract—reduced to statistics, reports, and policy language. Meanwhile, public trust in institutions is eroding.
The challenge: Make systemic inequality feel immediate, local, and undeniable—and give communities a way to respond.
Creative Idea
We reimagined the health checkup, inspired by a surprising fact: the single piece of information that can predict your life expectancy most reliably isn’t found in your DNA or any lipid panel. It’s your Zip Code.
So, we placed out of home with unignorable, intensely personal, hyper local headlines on the borders of the zip codes with the largest discrepancy in life expectancy. These “Inequality Billboards” provoked viewers by telling them they could “Live 8 years longer” if they lived at the next subway stop. Or crossed the street. Or walked 5 blocks further.
The OOH drove viewers to ZipcodeExam.com, an intuitive site with digital tools that make the amalgamation of over 900,000 data points come alive.
Upon arriving, users can enter their zip code to receive a personalized Community Health Report with the average life expectancy for that neighborhood, as well as insight into the key social determinants shaping it, including access to healthy food, employment, affordable housing, and more.
They can also compare their results with neighboring and then share their insights with local community leaders and, via social media, their community at large
The campaign turned geography into diagnosis, the neighborhood into an exam room. And a data-driven platform into a powerful tool to start effecting change.
So, we placed out of home with unignorable, intensely personal, hyper local headlines on the borders of the zip codes with the largest discrepancy in life expectancy. These “Inequality Billboards” provoked viewers by telling them they could “Live 8 years longer” if they lived at the next subway stop. Or crossed the street. Or walked 5 blocks further.
The OOH drove viewers to ZipcodeExam.com, an intuitive site with digital tools that make the amalgamation of over 900,000 data points come alive.
Upon arriving, users can enter their zip code to receive a personalized Community Health Report with the average life expectancy for that neighborhood, as well as insight into the key social determinants shaping it, including access to healthy food, employment, affordable housing, and more.
They can also compare their results with neighboring and then share their insights with local community leaders and, via social media, their community at large
The campaign turned geography into diagnosis, the neighborhood into an exam room. And a data-driven platform into a powerful tool to start effecting change.
Insights & Strategy
Most Americans believe health outcomes are determined by lifestyle and DNA. In reality, where they live- described by their zip code- is typically a stronger predictor of lifespan. And this reflects a number of implicit social issues.
Our insight: People can ignore statistics—but they cannot ignore the street they stand on and the place they live.
So, we identified life expectancy gaps between neighboring zip codes in six major U.S. cities and placed billboards directly on those fault lines. Each message was handcrafted with a hard hitting, message aimed at exactly the people who were exposed to it. After all, what could be more personal or urgent than knowing how where you live affects how long you can expect to.
Each message drove viewers to zipcodeexam.com, where the data was unpacked, explained and made even more relevant.
The strategy created a physical-to-digital loop: shock in the real world, proof online and a mechanism to start taking action in civic channels. Users could download their Community Health Report or send it directly to local officials, transforming awareness into agency.
Our insight: People can ignore statistics—but they cannot ignore the street they stand on and the place they live.
So, we identified life expectancy gaps between neighboring zip codes in six major U.S. cities and placed billboards directly on those fault lines. Each message was handcrafted with a hard hitting, message aimed at exactly the people who were exposed to it. After all, what could be more personal or urgent than knowing how where you live affects how long you can expect to.
Each message drove viewers to zipcodeexam.com, where the data was unpacked, explained and made even more relevant.
The strategy created a physical-to-digital loop: shock in the real world, proof online and a mechanism to start taking action in civic channels. Users could download their Community Health Report or send it directly to local officials, transforming awareness into agency.
Execution
Craft was critical.
Each billboard used stark typography, provocative headlines and minimal design to ensure the message was unmistakable—no imagery, no distraction. Each featured intensely relevant information about the biggest inequality of all- access to health. The tone was simultaneously both clinical and confrontational.
Placement was precise. Installations were positioned at literal geographic borders—subway stops, intersections, rail crossings—where the life expectancy gap was real and measurable. And consequently, profoundly personal.
Digitally, the site experience mirrored the restraint of the OOH. Clean data visualization, side-by-side zip code comparisons, and downloadable reports were designed to feel official and actionable. And it was all crafted with the overarching directive of ensuring the data was easily intelligible- and consequently, spurred action.
Each billboard used stark typography, provocative headlines and minimal design to ensure the message was unmistakable—no imagery, no distraction. Each featured intensely relevant information about the biggest inequality of all- access to health. The tone was simultaneously both clinical and confrontational.
Placement was precise. Installations were positioned at literal geographic borders—subway stops, intersections, rail crossings—where the life expectancy gap was real and measurable. And consequently, profoundly personal.
Digitally, the site experience mirrored the restraint of the OOH. Clean data visualization, side-by-side zip code comparisons, and downloadable reports were designed to feel official and actionable. And it was all crafted with the overarching directive of ensuring the data was easily intelligible- and consequently, spurred action.
Results
Within one week of launch:
• 200,000 visits to zipcodeexam.com
• 10,000+ Community Health Reports sent to local leaders
• Average time on site exceeded 3 minutes
Billboards were widely photographed and shared organically, sparking hyperlocal conversation across social platforms.
Most significantly, the City of Phoenix and the Borough of Queens have adopted the Zip Code Exam as part of their annual budgeting process—embedding the tool into civic infrastructure.
The campaign reframed public health from personal responsibility to systemic accountability.
• 200,000 visits to zipcodeexam.com
• 10,000+ Community Health Reports sent to local leaders
• Average time on site exceeded 3 minutes
Billboards were widely photographed and shared organically, sparking hyperlocal conversation across social platforms.
Most significantly, the City of Phoenix and the Borough of Queens have adopted the Zip Code Exam as part of their annual budgeting process—embedding the tool into civic infrastructure.
The campaign reframed public health from personal responsibility to systemic accountability.
2026 Awards
Total Points: 45
Gold Cube
Credits
Agency
Area 23 / New York
Media Agency
Rapport / New York
UM / New York
PR / Marketing Agency
Weber Shandwick / New York
Production Company
Dalmatian Cow / Los Angeles
Music / Sound Production Company
Bumblebeat / São Paulo
Post Production Company
Preymaker / New York
SRX / New York
Art Director
Taylor Cottrell
Chief Creative Officer
Tim Hawkey
Copywriter
Priscila Ramos
Group Creative Director
Victor Afonso
Renan Bulgari
Diego Tórgo
Executive Creative Director
Felipe Munhoz
Josh Grossberg
User Experience Designer
Franklin Williams
Mario Arias
Tati Cantar
Other
Paul Blake
Bill Hanff
Daniel Englert
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