Do IT…New York
Do It… New York was a bold public health campaign created to boost participation in an mpox (formerly monkeypox) study led by Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health (iCAP). After a 2022 outbreak that disproportionately impacted New York’s LGBTQ+ community—particularly trans, non-binary individuals, and men who have sex with men—we needed a way to cut through stigma and spark action. Launched during NYC’s Pride Parade, the campaign used playful innuendo and cheeky, high-visibility tactics to grab attention and drive engagement.
From posters, social posts and beer coasters in bars to branded condom wrappers and enamel pins, we encouraged at-risk New Yorkers to “do it”—with strangers, in groups, across the city. And by “do it,” of course, we meant join the study.
Fun, provocative, and impossible to ignore, the campaign helped drive real conversations and vital participation in the fight to stop the spread.
