Warning: This list contain ads that may tug your heartstrings, uplift your mood, or tickle your stomach.
Today’s advertising is not the “pale, 20% off, on sale now” kind of cringefest you’re used to encountering.
Ads now are empowered by meaningful branding that inspires, entertain, and build a cult-like following to your healthcare brand.
In this article, I’ll share with you 25 mesmerizing healthcare advertising campaigns . I’ll also explain why these campaigns are great and worth taking notes from.
In addition, I’ll reference what is the brand voice used in said campaigns.
Brand voice is the tone and language used when communicating your brand’s message, ads, marketing, website copy, or when talking with your patient.
These ads we will discuss today are:
- Hospital adverts examples
- Insurance ad campaign examples
- Health product advertisement examples
- Pharma ads examples
- Other Medical adverts
Let’s start.
Hospital adverts examples
1) The Plunge by One Medical
What’s great about it: The ad taps into the collective experience of the pandemic, reminding viewers of the profound impact it had on their lives. By acknowledging the changes people have gone through, it evokes an emotional response and establishes a connection with the audience.
By posing the question, “Who will you be after the pandemic?” the ad prompts viewers to reflect on their post-pandemic aspirations. It positions One Medical as a partner in their journey towards a better future, implying that the hospital understands the transformative effect of the pandemic and is there to provide support and care.
The video:
Its Brand Voice: Sympathetic, subtle, and encouraging.
2) “Redefining Possible” by UCSF Medical Center
What’s great about it: Unlike other medical centers, UCSF didn’t take the approach of “best quality care” claim. They provide quality care, but it’s not their mission. Their mission is to redefine what’s possible and take on harder challenges. This bold statement solidifies its unique position in healthcare as a daring health institution.
The video:
Its Brand Voice: Bold, Daring, and heroic.
3) “Life-defining moments” by Getinge
What’s great about it: In the conservative MedTech industry, not many attempts to challenge the traditional norms of communication. But in their new campaign, highlighting groundbreaking ventilator technology. In this campaign, we follow a neonatologist delivering a baby at a hospital.
In a series of clips, going backward in time, we see the doctor as she gets younger. We hear her gasping for breath while exercising, cheering for joy at her graduation, and breathing nervously as she awaits her wedding ceremony.
The video:
Its Brand Voice: Stirring, Passionate, and Thought-provoking.
4) “SickKids goes All In” by SickKids Hospital for Sick Children
What’s great about it: Each year, hundreds of charities go head-to-head to attract donations. SickKids needed to unite the city to get behind their cause. Building on their past success, they have to strike while the iron is hot.
Toronto is called the city of neighborhoods. To succeed, they need to unite them all behind the new hospital and for that, they rallied every single neighborhood in Toronto to take up arms in the fight for a new hospital. They answered the call.
Taking it to the streets, with larger-than-life murals of patients rallying their loved ones to join at fundthefight.ca. As donors provided funds, their digital flags were proudly planted on a virtual map of the city.
The video:
Its Brand Voice: Valiant, Harmonic, and Tenacious.
5) “Long Live Little Brats” by the Montreal Children’s Hospital
What’s great about it: As the province is a very competitive market for children’s charities, the difficult task was to break through the volume and attract donors.
The Children’s team knows this well: a healthy child can be energetic, unruly, and sometimes a little bratty. The first indicator that your kid is feeling under the weather is often when she or he becomes much quieter and calmer than usual.
The centerpiece of the campaign is a long-form film that tells the story of one such little brat and echoes the little girl’s unapologetically wild and mischievous nature.
The video:
Its Brand Voice: Unrepentant, Spontaneous, and Unexpected.
6) “So Much Better” by Baylor Scott & White Health
What’s great about it: The challenge most healthcare advertising faces is that all ads look like other healthcare advertising. The TV commercials often show the usual suspects: Doctors, nurses, and patients all inside the hospital. This ad took a different route: Since Baylor Scott & White Health is focused on making people better so they can live a better life, they set out to create advertising that feels, looks, and sounds better, too.
The commercial depicts Baylor Scott & White Health’s better solution for invasive heart surgery. Jay is now back on his feet and feeling so much better.
The video:
Its Brand Voice: Optimistic, Confident, and Reassuring.
7) “Care Bravely” by Lifebridge health
What’s great about it: This ad features a young girl seen walking through a dark and menacing forest, throughout the film’s dark backdrop, she narrates her reality that for her “monsters” do exist.
During her walk, she suddenly pauses when she discovers a golden crown shining brightly amongst the tree branches. As her backdrop fades away, it is revealed that she’s a young cancer patient inside a LifeBridge Health Hospital.
The hospital nurse is then shown, bringing a warm, inviting, and much needed comforting presence. She places a paper crown on the young girl’s head and they embrace each other.
The video:
Its Brand Voice: Challenging, Comforting and Heartening
8) “Unstoppable” by Brookdale Hospital
What’s great about it: The Brookdale University Hospital and Medical Center is a nonprofit medical services provider working on the frontline against Covid-19 in Brooklyn, New York.
The doctors and nurses who work there are fighting a daily battle on the frontline to save people’s lives whilst putting their own at risk. So they embarked on a 60s script that would honor their sacrifice and hard work, epitomizing their tenacity.
The video:
Its Brand Voice: Emphatic, Realistic, and Empowering.
9) “Home For Christmas” by Great Ormond Street Hospital
What’s great about it: Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity released an animated Christmas campaign that charts a patient’s journey home for the festive period.
The ad features patient Mia and her sister Amy. Both were treated at hospital years apart for the same rare condition. In this animated segment, Mia falls asleep in her room, which is adorned with festive decorations. A wind carries her and other sleeping children away from the hospital on their journeys home. It ends with a real home clip of Mia and Amy running downstairs in their matching pajamas.
The video:
Its Brand Voice: Delightful, Endearing, and Heartwarming.
10) “Changing the outcome together” by Cincinnati Children Hospital
What’s great about it: in this commercial, Cincinnati Children’s convey what they stand for Togetherness. The pediatric hospital’s new rebranding underlines its brand purpose of unification and collaboration. Their new tagline “Changing the outcome together” was inspired by the collaborative spirit of the hospital. In addition to that, the overlapping colors and shapes in the new logo represent teamwork that makes a difference in patients’ lives. The multiple colors and shapes personify the diverse employee and patient base at Cincinnati Children’s.
The video:
Its Brand Voice: Caring, Passionate, and Considerate.
Pharma ads examples
11) “The Joy of Movement” by Voltaren
What’s great about it: Voltran is an over-the-counter drug used to treat pains such as joints, back pain, and knee pain. The ad illustrates how prolonged sitting can hinder your lifestyle and prevent you from moving freely. It depicts the blue Voltaren mascot being weighed down by the sediment of long-hour sittings and how by dancing, he’s now moving flexibly. It’s an entertaining way to get the message across without being dull.
The video:
Its Brand Voice: Playful, Funny, and Whimsical.
12) “Get Up” by Eli Lilly
What’s great about it: This ad is for Lartruvo, a drug by Lilly against Sarcoma cancer. But Instead of focusing on the drug, Lilly’s is sympathizing with the target patients and their lifestyle. This kind of direct to consumer advertising is effective because it creates
brand preference
in the minds of their patients for their drug.
The video:
Its Brand Voice: hopeful, encouraging, and reassuring.
13) “End the cover-up” by Galderma pharmaceutical
What’s great about it: The dermatology company Galderma wanted to encourage people living with the medical skin condition rosacea to seek advice from a doctor, instead of covering up with make-up. What’s great about this ad is its simplistic yet expressive message. With this ad, Galderma further communicated its position as a leader in the dermatology field.
The video:
Its Brand Voice: Authoritative, sympathetic, and supportive.
14) “Dospinox” by S&D Pharma
What’s great about it: When the phantoms of the night appear to keep you from falling asleep with their performance of O-Zone’s Dragostea in the memorable and most intrusive Romain Pop song there is only one solution. The product Dospinox is a spray that allows for a calm and fast sleep.
S&P tries to convey its effective solution to slash nightmares through funny and unsolicited ways of pharmaceutical branding.
The video:
Its Brand Voice: Humorous, Witty, and Eccentric.
Health insurance ads
15) “Is It Normal?” by Bupa Health insurance
What’s great about it: It’s a fact of life that most people will find their mental health challenged at some point. Although perfectly normal, it feels like anything but. Here, Bupa looks to challenge everyone’s perception of what’s considered to be normal and, in doing so, aims to normalize seeking support for mental health.
As a leading healthcare provider, for over 70 years, they’ve helped and supported people through life experiences as varied as people themselves. So whatever’s on your mind, it’s normal to Bupa.
The video:
Its Brand Voice: Compassionate, Thoughtful, and Soothing.
16) “Benefits You Want” by Friday Health Plans
What’s great about it: After a long, draining week, many people see Friday as an oasis from the stress of work and responsibility, and they celebrate the day with the hashtag #FridayFeeling.
Aptly named Friday Health Plans applies this concept to health insurance. The low-cost, hassle-free provider covers younger consumers’ basic health needs — such as annual check-ups and emergency services — so they can experience that #FridayFeeling all week long.
Their advertising campaign relays this sense of freedom, beginning with the logo that hints at a cocktail glass complete with garnish.
This ad presents them as more approachable than typical Health Plans.
The video:
Its Brand Voice: Friendly, Casual, and Welcoming.
17) “Healthier Together” by GMHBA Health Insurance
What’s great about it: Shining a light on the value of GMHBA health insurance, the campaign is led by a 30-second spot that features families and individuals making healthier activities and getting value from the said activities. if GMHBA members do a health check-up, exercise, or even eat well, they are rewarded for it.
The video:
Its Brand Voice: Joyful, Promising, and Happy.
Health Product Advertisement Examples
24) “I’m Ada, I Can Help” by Ada Health
What’s great about it: Lack of access. Misdiagnosis. Longer waiting times and shorter visits with your doctor are all signs of a system at breaking point. Access to health information online has never been higher. Yet, our confidence and trust in this information, never lower.
What if technology could help solve these problems? This ad shows how we can help doctors accelerate diagnosis. The campaign depicts Ada, an irreverent healthcare software that placed the ability to assess your medical symptoms in the palm of your hand.
The video:
Its Brand Voice: Ambitious, Novel, and Knowledgeable.
19) “Vagina promises” by Ria hygiene products
What’s great about it: The Czech brand of feminine hygiene products Ria has been fighting against feminine taboos for many years. Its latest campaign, Vagina Promises, was made to address the fact that studies show that young women are not familiar with their genitals, and are often even ashamed of them.
Almost half of all Czech women don’t visit the OBGYN, although regular visits are covered by general insurance in the Czech Republic. Vagina Promises encourages young women to accept their bodies, love them the way they are, and take better care of themselves.
The video:
Its Brand Voice: Plucky, Frisky, and Soft-Spoken.
20) “Made For Greatness” by Colgate
What’s great about it: How do you target the high-achievers audience and best performing personnel? Well, certainly not by a C-suit board office scene. The great thing about this ad is that it hints at people who aim high by depicting a climber reaching for the top summit. The tagline “Made For Greatness” will further resonate with Colgate’s customers and create cult-like loyalty to their brand.
The video:
Its Brand Voice: bold, gallant, and venturesome.
Medical adverts Examples
21) “I Happen to Like New York” by the United Way Organization
What’s great about it: There have been many heartwarming stories to come out of the COVID-19 crisis in New York, but perhaps none as emotionally resonant as the nightly salute to the front-line workers who put their life on the line every day.
Each evening at 7 p.m. New Yorkers gather on streets (at a safe distance, of course) or lean out of their windows, banging saucepans, clapping, cheering, and hollering as exhausted healthcare workers make their way home after a shift.
The video:
Its Brand Voice: Colloquial, Passionate, and Warming.
22) “Brave” by OTB Foundation
What’s great about it: During the Covid, OTB Foundation actioned multiple initiatives aimed at supporting smaller and lesser-known hospitals in different Italian towns.
These initiatives include donations of protective equipment, distribution of masks, supplying cutting-edge technological equipment to prevent the spread of the virus, converting existing hospital wards into dedicated Covid sections, donating sanitizers and disinfection systems for ambulances, distributing respiratory helmets, face masks, and tablets.
The video:
Its Brand Voice: Cheerful, Playful, and Encouraging
23) “No Going Back To Normal” by Unison
What’s great about it: The core of this campaign is that while some people are desperate to get back to normal, for many, this means returning to long hours of work, low pay, and high-stress levels.
Thanks to a decade of public spending, sectors like healthcare, local government, and education are desperately underfunded. ‘No Going Back To Normal’ provides a battle cry for members of the public to sign UNISON’s open letter to demand help for workers and the rebuilding of public services.
The video:
Its Brand Voice: Audacious, Striking, and Succinct.
24) “Stop the Shame – Cancer” by First Call
What’s great about it: A shocking ad for the non-profit First Call begs the question, “Is addiction a disease?” by exploring what might happen if the families of cancer and Parkinson’s patients treated them the same way many treat those struggling with drug and other addiction.
The video:
Its Brand Voice: Insightful, Unsolicited, and Piercing.
25) “This Is Not A Story” by UNOCHA
What’s great about it: Humanitarians provide medical care and life-saving services to those caught in crises. These courageous people fight famine and flood, displacement and disease, war, and injustice.
The centerpiece of the ‘Real Life Heroes’ campaign is a film featuring real humanitarians from around the globe that celebrates their truly heroic feats. To dive deeper into the stories of individuals, they collaborated with an award-winning local independent comic publisher to illustrate the experiences of real humanitarians in comic art.
The video:
Its Brand Voice: Determined, Courageous, and Emotional.
The secret to a mouth-watering healthcare ad
Your ad is as good as the brand behind it. If the ad looks purposeless, without any brand substance to it, it will render it dull to the viewer.
Gone are the days of pumping out ad campaigns to sell to your customers directly. Healthcare customers now expect ads to be inspiring, unique, and emotionally resonate with them.
If you’re looking to build a brand that will skyrocket your ad performance, give meaning to your advertising or raise funding for your organization through a vision-driven cause, we’re here to help you develop a future-proof brand.
