Public health advertising & media buying for health departments, federal programs and nonprofitsHealth messages, where decisions happen.
Public health advertising puts health messages in front of the people a program needs to reach, at the moment a decision is close: the pharmacy counter, a clinic waiting room, the gas pump, or daycare drop-off. PlaceBased Media plans and runs these place-based out-of-home (OOH) and digital out-of-home (DOOH) campaigns for public health as a fully managed service.
- 500,000+ locations
- AAM-audited delivery
- English, Spanish + 15 more languages
- Fully managed
Built for the people doing the work.
State & local health departments
Statewide programs, county and city health departments, and Tribal health programs that need to reach specific ZIP codes, counties, or communities.
Federal programs & grantees
National efforts that need local placement and documentation that holds up in a grant report.
Nonprofits & coalitions
Stretching a limited budget to the people who need the message most.
The agencies that serve them
If you're the agency of record, we work behind you. Your client stays your client, and reporting comes in your format.
Buying through a formal request for proposals (RFP) or a smaller quote? Our RFP and procurement guide covers scopes, vendor questions, and proof standards.
Why public health advertising matters.
3 in 4 American adults have at least one chronic condition.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “About Chronic Diseases,” 2026.Chronic diseases are leading drivers of the nation's $5.3 trillion in annual health care costs.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “About Chronic Diseases,” 2026.CDC's Tips From Former Smokers media campaign drove 16.4 million quit attempts and over 1 million sustained quits (2012–2018).
Source: CDC, Preventing Chronic Disease (Murphy-Hoefer R, et al.), “Association Between the Tips From Former Smokers Campaign and Smoking Cessation Among Adults, United States, 2012–2018,” 2020.Eleven topics. One playbook.
- 01988 & mental health: Lifeline awareness and help-seeking
- 02Substance use, fentanyl & opioids: overdose prevention and naloxone
- 03Tobacco & vaping prevention: youth prevention and quit resources
- 04Vaccines: flu, RSV, COVID-19, and routine childhood and adult vaccines
- 05Maternal & child health: prenatal, postpartum, and early childhood
- 06WIC & SNAP enrollment: reaching eligible families where they shop and get care
- 07Medicaid outreach and enrollment
- 08Chronic disease & cancer screening: point-of-care for oncology
- 09Sexual health: HIV prevention, PrEP, and testing, without judgment
- 10Rural health: community hubs traditional media misses
- 11Tribal health: Tribal Community Centers, IHS, and reservations
The right room, at the right moment.
The best venue isn't the one with the most traffic. It's the one where your audience already is, at a moment that fits the message. Trust matters too.
of adults said they trust their own doctor or health care provider for reliable vaccine information, more than any other source tested. A message in a care setting borrows that trust.
Source: KFF, April 2025Point-of-care
Reach: Patients and caregivers in waiting and exam rooms, before they talk with a provider.
Topics: Vaccines, cancer screening, chronic disease, maternal health, 988, Medicaid.
Explore →Pharmacies
Reach: People picking up prescriptions, asking a pharmacist, or getting vaccinated.
Topics: Vaccines, naloxone, tobacco cessation, sexual health, Medicaid and Medicare enrollment.
Explore →Gas stations & c-stores
Reach: 29,000+ gas stations. Drivers at the pump and shoppers inside, in town and on rural routes.
Topics: Fentanyl and opioids, 988, tobacco and vaping, rural health.
Explore →High schools
Reach: Students throughout the school day, with approved creative.
Topics: 988, vaping prevention, substance use, sexual health, vaccines.
Explore →Colleges
Reach: Students in unions, residence halls, dining, and recreation spaces.
Topics: 988, substance use, sexual health, vaccines.
Explore →Community centers
Reach: Families, young athletes, and seniors during weekly visits.
Topics: Tobacco and vaping, chronic disease, WIC/SNAP, vaccines.
Explore →Grocery stores
Reach: Weekly shoppers, including families using benefits.
Topics: WIC/SNAP, Medicaid, nutrition and chronic disease, vaccines.
Explore →Bars & restaurants
Reach: Adults 21+, including LGBTQ+ venues and veterans' posts.
Topics: Sexual health and PrEP, overdose and naloxone, 988.
Explore →Daycare & childcare
Reach: Parents of young children at drop-off and pick-up.
Topics: Childhood vaccines, WIC, maternal and child health.
Explore →A translated ad rarely lands.
More than one in five U.S. residents age 5 and older speak a language other than English at home (U.S. Census Bureau). We plan language at the start, not the end:
- Creative in English, Spanish, and 15 more languages, culturally adapted, not just translated
- Bilingual versions given equal space and prominence
- Real families, foods, and settings, and no clichés
- Venues chosen for each community's makeup, like neighborhood markets and cultural centers
See our multicultural approach and audience pages for Hispanic and Latino, BIPOC, and Asian and Pacific Islander communities.
Documentation built for grant reports.
Planning
Three questions: who needs to act, what you want them to do, and where they already spend time. You get a venue mix and a location-level list before anything is booked.
Production
We format or help build creative, handle translation and cultural adaptation, and produce materials in-house. You approve; each venue network signs off before posting.
Installation
We coordinate every venue, install materials, check placements during the flight, and replace anything damaged or missing.
Reporting with photo proof
Time-stamped, geo-tagged photos for every location. Delivery by ZIP, county, venue type, and language; QR and vanity-URL response; a final wrap built for grant reports and public-records requests.
Our planning guide recommends starting 6 to 10 weeks before launch, and earlier for statewide or multilingual programs.
Budgets, benchmarks, and results.
The Public Health Media Planning Guide covers budget ranges by campaign size, CPM (cost per thousand impressions) benchmarks, timelines, and a planning checklist.
Public health case studies
- 01A statewide 988 Lifeline awareness campaign across healthcare, college, library, and community venues
- 02A youth 988 campaign in high schools, colleges, and community spaces
- 03SAMHSA: a national naloxone education and fentanyl awareness campaign reaching rural, college, LGBTQ+, and Tribal communities
- 04Public health advertising strategies: channels, venues, and measurement
- 05A city health department's flu, COVID-19 and RSV vaccination campaign on pharmacy screens
Questions, answered.
01Is PlaceBased Media a public health advertising agency?
We're a place-based OOH and DOOH media company that specializes in public health. We plan the media, recommend venues, produce and install materials, and report on delivery. We work directly with health departments and nonprofits, or alongside your agency of record.
02Do you work with health departments directly?
Yes, at the state, county, city, and Tribal level. We also work through the agencies that serve them.
03Can you run a statewide campaign?
Yes. Campaigns can cover a whole state or a handful of ZIP codes. Venues vary by market, so your plan lists exact locations before you commit.
04How much does public health advertising cost?
It depends on geography, venues, formats, and campaign length. Our planning guide shows illustrative budget ranges from single counties to statewide programs, and we'll build a custom plan around your budget.
05How do we know the ads actually ran?
Every location gets time-stamped, geo-tagged photo proof and delivery reporting. Our point-of-care program has also been independently audited by the Alliance for Audited Media.
06Can we use federal grant funds?
Place-based OOH is an eligible paid media channel for many federally funded awareness campaigns. Always confirm against your specific grant terms.
07Can campaigns run in languages other than English?
Yes. We produce creative in English, Spanish, and 15 more languages, and we can assign versions by market, location, or venue.
08Do you use personal health data to target people?
No. We target by location, venue type, and geography. We never use individual health data.
Start with these venues.
Point of care
Waiting rooms, exam rooms and HCP lounges.
Explore point of care →Pharmacies
Counter, shelf and screen, at pickup.
Explore pharmacies →Tribal communities
Tribal Community Centers, IHS locations, reservations.
Explore tribal communities →High schools
Hallways, cafeterias and gyms, school-approved.
Explore high schools →See every media solution.
All media solutions →Planning a campaign? compare DOOH advertising screens, or browse every OOH and DOOH media solution. Reach families with daycare advertising, or see the HIV/PrEP awareness campaign and youth mental health awareness campaign case studies.
Reach the people your program serves.
Tell us who needs to act, what you want them to do, and where. We'll come back with a venue mix, a location list, and an honest read on your budget.