More than ACEs: a county-wide campaign for awareness and resilience

ACEs Gloucestershire set out to raise awareness of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), their long-term impact on health, and the critical role that agencies across Gloucestershire can play in both preventing ACEs and supporting those affected.

Our task was to create and deliver an integrated communications programme that could unite multiple stakeholders under one powerful message.

While ACEs are often communicated through narratives of harm and victimhood, we believed this approach risked disempowering the very people the campaign aimed to help. Instead, we built the campaign around resilience, understanding, and collective support.

Our central idea More than ACEs positioned individuals as more than their past experiences, emphasising strength, potential, and hope. This positive, forward-looking framing shaped the branding, messaging, and visuals, helping the campaign inspire action and unity rather than sympathy alone.

This two-year engagement became a deeply meaningful project for both our team and the client. The More than ACEs brand and communications strategy achieved: 

Broad adoption: The brand was embraced and applied by dozens of agencies and organisations across Gloucestershire. 

Viral growth: Designed to be organic and self-sustaining, campaign assets were used flexibly across channels, enabling grassroots groups and public bodies alike to make them their own. 

Stronger communities: The campaign brought individuals and organisations together through high-impact events and cross-sector collaboration. 

Replicable success: The model has since been adopted in other regions, amplifying its impact beyond county borders. 

By integrating design, PR, digital, and events, the campaign demonstrated the full breadth of our capabilities and achieved lasting outcomes for the community.