American Red Cross
There were two key goals of this campaign: raising awareness about free bed shaker installations for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) community, and recruiting volunteers to support this initiative. While the American Red Cross already offered these alarms at no cost, awareness within the DHH community was low, and traditional safety messaging often failed to resonate. The campaign needed to both educate the community on the importance of bed shakers and encourage volunteer participation, particularly from those fluent in ASL, to support installations.
Role: Concept Development - Copywriting - Creative Strategy - Research
#SignTheAlarm
Through research and community interviews, I identified that many DHH individuals value independence and self sufficiency and often resist outreach that feels like charity or pity. With this insight, I developed a campaign strategy that spoke directly to those values. Instead of framing the free alarms as handouts, the messaging emphasized personal responsibility and protecting family.
The core idea became: “This tool is here for you, not as charity, but as a way to keep your loved ones safe.” I authored the creative brief to establish this direction and wrote the script for an animated public service announcement that reframed fire safety as an act of care for family. I collaborated with the creative team and animators to produce the PSA with clear visuals, captions, and sign language interpretation cues, ensuring the content was respectful and accessible to Deaf viewers.
Through research and community interviews, I identified that many DHH individuals value independence and self sufficiency and often resist outreach that feels like charity or pity. With this insight, I developed a campaign strategy that spoke directly to those values. Instead of framing the free alarms as handouts, the messaging emphasized personal responsibility and protecting family.
The core idea became: “This tool is here for you, not as charity, but as a way to keep your loved ones safe.” I authored the creative brief to establish this direction and wrote the script for an animated public service announcement that reframed fire safety as an act of care for family. I collaborated with the creative team and animators to produce the PSA with clear visuals, captions, and sign language interpretation cues, ensuring the content was respectful and accessible to Deaf viewers.
#SignTheAlarm
In the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) community, traditional fire alarms often fail to reach those who cannot hear them. Although organizations like the American Red Cross offer free specialized tools (such as bed-shaker alarms), awareness was surprisingly low. The bigger issue was trust: many DHH individuals do not identify as “disabled” and resist outreach that feels like charity or pity. Through research and community interviews, I discovered that this community deeply values independence and self-sufficiency rather than being seen as dependent on assistance.
With this insight, I developed a campaign strategy that spoke directly to those values. Instead of framing the free alarms as handouts, our messaging emphasized personal responsibility and protecting family. The core idea was: “This tool is here for you — not as charity, but as a way to keep your loved ones safe.” I authored the creative brief to set this strategic direction and wrote the script for an animated public service announcement (PSA) that reframed fire safety as an act of caring for family. I collaborated with the creative team and animators to produce the PSA with clear visuals, captions, and sign-language interpretation cues, ensuring the content was respectful and accessible to Deaf viewers.
Paired with QR codes linking directly to Red Cross resources, the cards functioned as both a call to action and a physical reminder that fire safety decisions cannot be postponed. By keeping the language blunt, minimal, and time-sensitive, the cards reinforced the campaign’s core message: this is not charity. It is prevention.
Business Cards
(Print Call-To-Action)
Business Cards
For the business card series, I leaned deliberately into urgency and high-stakes. The messaging avoids abstract safety language and instead confronts a simple truth: in a fire, Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals may only get one warning, and seconds matter.
Paired with QR codes linking directly to Red Cross resources, the cards functioned as both a call to action and a physical reminder that fire safety decisions cannot be postponed. By keeping the language blunt, minimal, and time-sensitive, the cards reinforced the campaign’s core message: this is not charity. It is prevention.
(Print Call-to-Action)
Animation Series
(:30 Social Spot)
For the animation series, the challenge was not awareness, but resistance. Many Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals value independence and do not respond to messaging framed as help or assistance. Traditional safety PSAs risk being dismissed if they imply vulnerability.
Instead, the strategy reframed fire safety through responsibility to others.
Each animation centers on a loved one a dog, a grandmother, and a sister intervening during a house fire. Rather than portraying the DHH individual as helpless, the narrative shows the real risk of relying solely on sound and smell while others are put in danger trying to wake them
By shifting the emotional weight from self-preservation to protecting loved ones, the animations bypass defensiveness and create urgency without condescension.
Your Dog waits for you
What are you waiting for
This animation flips the expected relationship between a person and their pet. The dog does not just alert Steve. It waits for him. Even after sensing danger, the dog stays, nudges, and refuses to leave without its owner. The one who is supposed to rely on a human becomes the protector instead.
The ending line, “Your dog waits for you. What are you waiting for?” reframes protection as a choice and points viewers toward getting a bed shaker.
Your Dog waits for you
What are you waiting for
This animation flips the expected relationship between a person and their pet. The dog does not just alert Steve. It waits for him. Even after sensing danger, the dog stays, nudges, and refuses to leave without its owner. The one who is supposed to rely on a human becomes the protector instead.
The ending line, “Your dog waits for you. What are you waiting for?” reframes protection as a choice and points viewers toward getting a bed shaker.
Social Media Captions
Each caption corresponds to the Dog. Granny, and Bedshaker animations.
Free Bedshaker Infographic
This post breaks down the steps to get a free bed shaker alarm through the American Red Cross.
It walks viewers through the process from start to finish, including filling out the request form, waiting for a response, scheduling a home visit, and having the equipment installed by trained volunteers.
The goal is to remove confusion around access and make it clear that bed shakers are available, free, and easy to request
Free Bedshaker InfoGraphic
Social Media Captions
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