THE MISSING ISSUE
We partnered with Us Weekly and The Harris Project to create a powerful special edition that reframes how the media talks about celebrities and substance use. Often, what's missing in these stories is the conversation around co-occurring disorders, the intersection of substance use and mental health. This issue aimed to reveal that missing layer. Every celebrity or family featured gave full approval to be included, helping bring awareness to a cause that deeply affects so many.
Visually, the design walks a line between familiar and disruptive. One half of the cover mimics classic tabloid headlines; the other half is black and white, representing the untold side of the story. The cover is torn down the middle to symbolize the fracture in how these stories are typically told.
Inside, we placed the original articles alongside newly rewritten versions that incorporate the mental health context. It was a design challenge to fit both versions on a single spread while maintaining clarity, elegance, and respect for each individual featured story, but that contrast is where the power of the piece lives.
US Weekly x The Harris Project, 2025 - HAVAS
Editorial & Graphic Design
- Editorial Design
- OOH
- Titles
YOU DON’T KNOW THE HALF OF IT.In this film, a seemingly innocent drinking game grows ever darker as a young woman slowly reveals how her mental health problems drive her substance use and vice versa. The phrase “drink if you…” acts as a beating drum at the heart of the story, mirroring the cyclical nature of addiction as she struggles to get through even the most routine moments, eating breakfast, going to school, being with friends, until, finally, her darkest secrets are brought to light. The film aims to reach young people at a time when they are experimenting and may be self-medicating. The Harris Project, 2024 - HAVAS
Design Direction