University of Maryland Medical Center
Midtown Campus Service Line Campaign
Client: University of Maryland Medical Center
Sector: Healthcare / Community Outreach
Offering: Creative Direction, Generative AI Imaging, Graphic Design, Community Validation
Summary
The University of Maryland Medical Center partnered with What Works Studio to develop a place-based campaign aimed at increasing awareness of specific service lines offered at its Midtown Campus. With cultural relevance and cost-efficiency as dual priorities, What Works Studio used generative AI to create a visually rich, demographically aligned campaign that reflected the West Baltimore community it served. The final creative included elevator wraps, escalator wraps, sky banners, and large-format standees—each tied to a specific service line. Focus groups conducted after development validated the strategy: residents found the campaign trustworthy, relatable, and motivating.
Background & Objectives
UMMC’s Midtown Campus serves the heart of Baltimore City, but many residents were unaware of the full range of services available. The goal: increase visibility for six priority service lines among West Baltimore residents, using high-traffic space at Mondawmin Mall to meet the community where they are.
Goals:
Drive awareness for Midtown service lines: Primary Care, Pediatrics, Diabetes, Heart & Vascular, Cancer, and Amputation Prevention
Deliver clear, inclusive creative on a compressed timeline and budget
Reflect the surrounding community authentically in all visual elements
Discovery & Strategy
What Works Studio approached the campaign with a deep understanding of the West Baltimore audience—grounded in insights from a recently executed diabetes awareness campaign targeting the same population, and built on years of experience working across the region.
Armed with a clear sense of what resonates locally, WWS designed a creative concept rooted in visibility, trust, and cultural alignment. With original photography cost-prohibitive, the team leveraged generative AI to produce visuals that felt authentic, familiar, and human.
Key Insight: Residents respond to campaigns where they see themselves—not just as patients, but as people living full, everyday lives within their own communities.
Creative Execution
The campaign took over Mondawmin Mall with a coordinated rollout across multiple formats and zones, including escalators, elevators, and sky banners.
Creative Deliverables:
12 custom AI-generated images, tailored to each service line
6 banner stand concepts
3 elevator wraps
3 sky banners
1 escalator wrap
1 billboard
Messaging, design, layout, and QA
Each asset was tied directly to a specific care offering at Midtown—ensuring clarity of message and strength of visual recognition.
Focus Group Validation
The Mondawmin Mall Campaign received direct, verbal feedback from participants at four in-person focus groups conducted across Baltimore. The response was predominantly positive, with community members affirming both the creative tone and messaging clarity.
Key Quotes from Participants:
“Yeah, it’s showing you the services and it’s showing you the community. It’s actually using people from the community. It’s showing you them actually living and not just holding an apple. I like it, it just draws you in and it’s relatable.”
“This is very impressive.”
“I have to rate it with a 10, 10 plus.”
“It’s relatable across the board.”
“Everything is inspiring about it.”
“I like the color. I think it’s nice.”
“Everything is clear.”
“They’re really good. Yeah, I like them.”
The overwhelming tone was one of validation: the imagery felt real, the services were clear, and the campaign was motivating.
Results & Impact
Campaign Delivered:
25+ creative assets deployed across Mondawmin Mall
Service-line clarity across all visuals
Community testing confirmed campaign effectiveness
Creative Validated by Target Audience:
Described as “impressive,” “inspiring,” “clear,” and “relatable”
AI-generated visuals viewed as lifelike and engaging by the majority
Specific praise for authenticity, service depiction, and cultural resonance
Efficiency Achieved:
~$100K in production cost savings through AI over traditional photography
Rapid development without sacrificing quality or nuance
Key Takeaways
Community Representation Drives Engagement: Visuals that reflect local people and real-life contexts make service-line marketing more trustworthy and actionable.
AI, When Thoughtfully Applied, Works: While a few noticed the images weren’t real photos, the overwhelming sentiment was positive—proving AI can successfully connect when used with cultural intention.
Clarity is King: From design to copy, simplicity and service focus were repeatedly called out as campaign strengths.
