Imagine a video that puts you in the heart of a beating emergency department, with a clinician explaining, in their own words, why every second counts…
Powerful content has the capacity to proactively change the most established understandings, so when the ACT Government engaged Scope Productions to create a clear, credible public health message to help ease the pressure on Canberra’s ED departments, we knew we needed to come up with a message that had weight.
This non-statistic-based human narrative helps clarify the pressure every emergency places on the ED and how, in turn, this leads to longer waits for non-life-threatening cases.
When you are sick or hurt, the emergency department feels like the only option – but it’s not. The message Scope delivered pivoted to solutions: walk-in centres for minor illness and injury; local GPs who increasingly have the capacity to treat as clinicians; and Health Direct’s free medical advice over the phone – all practical alternatives presented clearly, calmly and without judgement.
The tone is direct and authoritative but ultimately human, reflecting the trust required for effective government health communication. Shot with a documentary-style authenticity, the video reinforces a simple message: emergency departments will always be there when truly needed – but they don’t have to be the first call.
This was a campaign built on clarity over complexity, designed to assist the ACT Government deliver a genuinely useful public message to the people who need it most.
