A Statewide Campaign for BlueCross BlueShield
Overview
As art director and designer, I led the BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment campaign, developing a cohesive suite of marketing materials to reach seniors across the state. The project included billboards, newspaper ads, flyers, and a custom direct mailer, all designed to clearly communicate plan benefits, build trust, and drive enrollment.
The Problem
The BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment campaign required a cohesive design system that could be applied across multiple formats, including billboards, newspaper ads, flyers, and custom mailers, while meeting the requirements of various print vendors throughout the state. The team had to adapt creative assets for different specifications and media placements, all under tight production deadlines leading up to the enrollment period.
Campaign Strategy
Business Objectives
To drive awareness and enrollment in BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina’s Medicare Advantage plans through a coordinated, statewide marketing campaign that delivers clear, consistent messaging across multiple channels.
Increase Awareness
Build broad visibility for BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina’s Medicare Advantage plans through consistent messaging across statewide media channels.
Drive Enrollment
Motivate eligible seniors to explore plan options and enroll during the open enrollment period through clear calls to action and targeted outreach.
Ensure Brand Consistency
Maintain a unified visual identity and messaging across all campaign materials to strengthen trust and reinforce the BlueCross BlueShield brand.
Maximize Reach and Efficiency
Leverage multiple formats and vendor partnerships to extend the campaign’s impact statewide while meeting tight production timelines.
Personas
To guide the campaign’s messaging and design, we identified key audience segments representing typical Medicare-eligible individuals across South Carolina. These personas helped ensure the materials were clear, approachable, and relevant to their needs and decision-making styles.
Retired elementary
school teacher
Mary Thompson - 68
Mary lives in a suburban community and values trusted, local organizations. She reads the newspaper daily and pays close attention to her mail. She prefers clear, easy-to-read information to help her compare plans and make confident healthcare decisions.
Semi-retired small
business owner
James “Jim” Walker - 72
Jim lives in a rural area and often relies on billboards and flyers at community centers for information. He’s pragmatic and wants straightforward answers about coverage and costs. He appreciates concise messaging and strong calls to action.
Administrative
assistant, recently retired
Linda Garcia - 65
Linda lives in a city and is comfortable using both print and digital channels. She often helps her friends understand their healthcare options. She appreciates messaging that is both friendly and informative, with clear steps for how to learn more or enroll.
Customer Journey
During Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment, customers move through a journey that begins with building awareness through statewide media, followed by receiving targeted print materials like mailers and flyers. They then seek clear, trustworthy information to compare plan options, ultimately leading them to take action by calling, visiting a website, or enrolling through a trusted representative. Each touchpoint in the journey needs to deliver consistent messaging and easy-to-understand information to support confident decision-making.
Visual Designs
Choosing the Right Images
Imagery played a key role in creating a campaign that felt authentic and connected with the audience. I worked closely with the client to select photos that reflected South Carolina’s communities and aligned with the BlueCross BlueShield brand. Each image was carefully edited and color balanced to maintain a cohesive look across print and digital formats. Thoughtful placement ensured the visuals supported the message and looked strong in every size and medium.
Statewide Billboards
To build broad awareness of BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina’s Medicare Advantage plans by delivering clear, high-impact messaging that quickly captures attention and drives customers to seek more information during the open enrollment period. Designs were tailored for different regions across South Carolina and adapted for digital signage, with multiple size variations developed to maintain consistency and effectiveness across all formats.
Flyers
To support the campaign with a range of targeted print materials designed to inform, engage, and activate key audiences. Informative and letter-style advertising flyers clearly outlined plan benefits for potential members, seminar flyers promoted educational events, and agent training and hangout flyers equipped sales teams with the tools and information they needed to effectively communicate with customers across the state.
Digital Ads
To create and manage a coordinated series of digital ads across social media and online platforms that supported each phase of the enrollment timeline. Pre-enrollment ads focused on building awareness and anticipation, in-campaign ads reinforced key benefits and drove engagement, and final-days ads created urgency to encourage last-minute enrollments. Consistent messaging and strategic scheduling ensured broad reach and timely reminders throughout the entire enrollment period.
News Media
To extend the campaign’s reach through a comprehensive newspaper advertising strategy that included multiple ad sizes and formats across publications statewide. Ads were designed to fit various layouts while maintaining visual consistency and clarity. In addition to standard placements, advertorials were developed to provide in-depth information in a trusted editorial style format that helped educate readers and build confidence in the Medicare Advantage plans.
Post Cards
A series of postcards was developed to promote BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina’s Medicare Advantage plans, combining clear messaging with approachable, regionally tailored design. Some postcards delivered broad statewide awareness, while others were customized for specific areas across South Carolina to highlight local relevance and connect more personally with each audience. Consistent branding, typography, and imagery ensured every piece felt cohesive while still reflecting the unique character of each region.
Conclusion
Takeaways
Early indicators show that our Medicare Advantage creative is performing exceptionally well, generating 3,500+ more applications to date and running well ahead of last year’s pace. The strong response from preheat materials confirms our messaging is resonating, with recipients holding onto mailers and calling as soon as AEP opened. With most enrollments expected closer to the December 15 deadline, results are already promising and point to a highly successful campaign year.
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