pioneers in prevention
In 1988, Dave Purchase set up a TV tray with clean needles outside a heroin den. Thus began the Tacoma Needle Exchange, kicking off one of the country's most successful anti-HIV movements. Dave died in 2013, but his legacy lived on through his umbrella organization, Point Defiance AIDS Projects (PDAP). WIth an international impact but an ad hoc approach to branding and websites, PDAP asked us to help create a brand system and websites for its three main efforts.
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Dave's focus was people. His approach to branding was...whimsical. Our exploration showed that the name Point Defiance AIDS Projects was confusing and not fully aligned with the organization's evolving mission. We renamed the organization The Dave Purchase Project in Dave's honor and crafted a tagline and logo system that displayed a visual connection between the organization and its two main programs.
Capturing the work of Dave Purchase Project photographically was about allowing harm-reduction clients to remain anonymous while showing the faces and tools that drug users have come to trust to help them stay safer until they find the will to change.
We created three websites for the organization each with a unique purpose but a similar look. This approach allowed us to speak in a targeted and appropriate way to very different audiences: funders, drug users, concerned family members, and others in the harm reduction community.
We designed pieces to help Dave Purchase Project connect with its audiences in person. We're especially proud of a graphic we dubbed "Skater Dave." It made its way on to stickers and other merch meant for needle exchange clients. For many, Dave's iconic face is synonymous with his message to "be kind and take care of yourself," an important thought for people who often feel alone.
