From the Co-Founder of Starface, a New Brand Destigmatizing Drug Safety
The co-founder of Starface and Julie, brands that flip the script on acne and emergency contraception, is setting out to destigmatize another "unsexy" subject: drug testing and harm reduction.
On Tuesday, Brian Bordainick introduces Overdrive Defense, a first-of-its-kind brand making conversations around drug testing and harm reduction more approachable.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 70 percent of drug overdoses in 2022 were caused by fentanyl and other synthetic opioids. As Bordainick puts it: "Fentanyl poisonings are wreaking havoc on communities across the U.S. It's a crisis we can't ignore if we pride ourselves on showing up for young people at critical times in their coming-of-age story."
We also know that abstinence-based programs aren't really effective. Telling people to "just say no" when they've already decided to use drugs is rarely productive.
So instead, Overdrive embraces harm reduction, broadly defined as practices, policies, and programs — like safe injection sites that distribute clean syringes — that help minimize the health impacts associated with drug use.
There are two ways Overdrive will make harm reduction more accessible to young people. First is product: Overdrive's debut offering is a fentanyl test kit, priced at $12.99 for a five-pack. Packaged in neon orange cartons reminiscent of cigarette packs, the test kits aren't cold and clinical-looking — instead, they look right at home at a rave or house party.
Second is entertainment. Offering test kits is one thing, but getting people to actually use them is another. To help normalize conversations around drug safety, Overdrive is rolling out several original content series across social media — think snack-able, "man on the street"-style interviews on partying, drug use, and drinking.
“We want the first time someone meets Overdrive to be a moment where we're giving them something dope and not hard-selling to them," says Ryan Weaver, Overdrive's executive producer and creative and brand lead.
"Our marketing [values] a consumer most companies don't want to talk to. We entertain them and give them content that they can actually fuck with... It builds trust and shows where our values are. If we do that, we can count on them to want to learn more about Overdrive and our mission of flipping the stigma on harm reduction.”
Going forward, Overdrive has big plans. The brand will donate 1 percent of net revenue, as well as test kits, to partner organizations including End Overdose, Students for Sensible Drug Policy, the National Harm Reduction Coalition, and the Pennsylvania Harm Reduction Network.
It's also working on introducing new types of tests (think drink spike detectors), as well as tapping into college campuses across the country.
With Starface and Julie, Bordainick has succeeded in making pimple patches and morning-after pills Instagram-able. It's only a matter of time before Overdrive's brightly colored test kits start taking over your For You Page.
