This Woman-Owned Creative Agency Takes on Idaho’s Reproductive Healthcare Legislation

Idaho laws are some of the US’s most restrictive when it comes to reproductive healthcare: they’re driving doctors out of the state and even caused a hospital to permanently close its doors to the labour and delivery unit.

Imagine being told you had to carry your unviable foetus in your womb for 17 more days because of a 'legal grey area.' Imagine getting a positive pregnancy test and having anxiety over your safety to give birth in your home state overshadow your excitement for the child you’d always wanted. Imagine leaving the state where you practice medicine out of fear for being put in prison for upholding your oath to do no harm. This isn’t a dystopian future - this is our home state of Idaho right now.

As a woman-owned and women-led creative agency based in Boise, Stoltz dove in to create the bipartisan Idahoans for Healthy Moms campaign, funded by a coalition of healthcare organisations, to bring real stories like these out of the shadows. 

The brief: Create an educational media campaign to tell the lesser-known stories of the impact the 2022 Dobbs decision has had, by evoking Idaho values and without presenting a polarizing abortion narrative.

Stoltz’ response: In just two months, we launched an integrated marketing campaign that won’t let you look away (and includes a brand identity, storytelling video series, website, and social media strategy). And people are taking notice - from both sides of the aisle.

The campaign - centred by the tagline “In Idaho, motherhood comes with a warning label” - follows six real stories.

“I am very pro-life…but let [doctors] do what they do best without being worried about being taken to court for abortion.” - Clay Handy, Idaho House of Representatives (R)

"My stillbirth, while it was horrible in Idaho in 2006 was still immensely easier than my six-week miscarriage in 2022. And I was forced to endure 19 days." - Carmen, Idaho mom

“The state of Idaho has lost five out of nine maternal foetal specialists. This is after trying to build a system for 25 years and losing more than half in a year.” - Dr. Jim Souza, chief physician executive, St. Luke’s Health System

“This is the kind of work Stoltz is best at delivering because it makes you pause, think, feel - and act,” said Stoltz CEO and president Jaime Ekman. “As a woman-owned, women-led business, we know too well that this issue is literally life and death for so many Idahoans. We’re damn proud of the conversations this campaign has already sparked and won’t stop supporting partners like this until Idaho is a safer place for families.”