University of Maryland Medical Center

We developed a culturally aligned, community-tested awareness campaign for UMMC’s Midtown Campus deploying 25+ high-impact mall installations, elevating visibility for key service lines, and saving the client more than $100K in production costs.

The University of Maryland Medical Center partnered with What Works Studio to develop a place-based awareness campaign for its Midtown Campus, focused on increasing visibility for six key service lines among West Baltimore residents. The goal was simple and ambitious. Meet the community where they are. Reflect their lived experience with authenticity. Deliver high-impact creative on a compressed timeline and budget.

The challenge was familiar. The hospital needed custom, high-quality creative across multiple formats, and it needed to feel local, trustworthy, and culturally aligned. Traditional production would have required photographers, models, stylists, locations, licensing fees, and weeks of shooting and post-production. The projected cost exceeded one hundred thousand dollars, which made the campaign untenable. What Works Studio introduced an alternative. A creative production model powered by generative AI that preserved quality, reduced timelines, and delivered human-centered storytelling without the weight of a full-scale shoot.

What Works Studio approached the project with years of experience working in West Baltimore and deep familiarity with the community’s priorities. This foundation allowed the team to design a campaign rooted in visibility, dignity, and cultural resonance. Rather than depicting generic stock characters, the imagery portrayed everyday life in West Baltimore. Families. Neighbors. People in motion. People living full, recognizable lives. The objective was not to create perfect images but to create images that felt true.

The creative rollout transformed Mondawmin Mall into a corridor of care, with coordinated visuals across escalators, elevators, sky banners, and large-format standees. Each asset was tied directly to a service line at Midtown. Primary Care. Pediatrics. Diabetes. Heart and Vascular. Cancer. Amputation Prevention. The result was a clear, cohesive visual language that made essential information accessible to a high-traffic audience.

Community validation played a central role in the campaign’s success. What Works Studio conducted four in-person focus groups across Baltimore, gathering direct feedback from residents. The response was overwhelmingly positive. Participants called the visuals impressive, relatable, inspiring, and clear. Many noted that the people looked like them and looked like home. Several remarked that the campaign felt honest and motivating.

The approach worked because it remained grounded in story and community. AI was not used as a shortcut. It was used as a creative engine guided by intention and taste. The images were shaped, refined, and art-directed with the same rigor as a traditional shoot. The campaign demonstrated that generative AI, when used with cultural sensitivity and human oversight, can expand possibilities rather than dilute them.

By leveraging AI with strategy and discernment, What Works Studio delivered a visually cohesive, emotionally resonant campaign that saved the client nearly one hundred thousand dollars in production costs while strengthening awareness of essential care services in one of Baltimore’s most important communities.

The result was more than a cost-efficient campaign. It was a thoughtful expression of presence, care, and connection.

Key Outcomes

• Delivered a full mall-wide creative campaign across escalators, elevators, sky banners, and standees

• Produced 25+ custom creative assets tailored to six Midtown service lines

• Saved approximately $100,000 in production costs by replacing traditional photography with generative AI

• Completed rapid creative development without sacrificing quality or cultural nuance

• Validated campaign effectiveness through four in-person community focus groups

• Received consistent feedback describing the campaign as impressive, relatable, inspiring, and clear

• Enhanced visibility and understanding of key service lines for West Baltimore residents

• Demonstrated a new creative model blending human-centered design with AI-powered production