The three spots in “Unfinished Legacies” will be released on social media platforms and Spotify, joined by static versions on billboards across the city.
BarkleyOKRP said it will use the victims’ social media handles to deliver peer-to-peer messages. Katy Hornaday, the agency’s chief creative officer, said in a statement that Snapchat is of particular focus, since its “a particularly dangerous platform for buying drugs.”
“We hope that by using this channel to tell these powerful stories, it will deter others, specifically Kansas City’s youth, from buying drugs that could be laced with fentanyl,” she said.
She continued, “As a mom with two young children growing up in Kansas City, I could not be more invested in this work and hopeful for the impact it will have on our community.”
“Unfinished Legacies” is not the first PSA campaign to use AI to revive the victims of tragedies in order to spread an impactful message. In February, anti-gun violence nonprofits Change the Ref and March for Our Lives used AI to recreate the voices of school shooting victims, which they used to call lawmakers’ to advocate for gun reform.
