Isak Gundrosen & Natalia Mojzych - Pretty Drug Things - Changing the Perception of Drugs

Advertising strategies and the visual language of marketing are used to shape public opinion on drug use and drug policy. By analyzing both historical and contemporary media campaigns, these designers demonstrate how the same substance can be framed as either a terrifying menace or a therapeutic tool depending on the visual design and emotional cues utilized. Through the ‘Pretty Drug Things’ initiative, the speakers hope to reclaim these communication tactics to challenge stigmas and promote evidence-based drug policy reform. By applying target marketing techniques to communicate nuanced messages about harm reduction, activists can effectively reach audiences who are otherwise disengaged or hostile towards traditional reform discourse.