No actors, just patients in unvarnished spots for hospitals

A television commercial for the Akron Children's Hospital in Ohio presents Austin, who is 14 and bald from chemotherapy. The commercial is emblematic of a new approach to advertising by hospitals—an industry that, despite the recession, is not slashing ad spending. The campaign, by the Marcus Thomas agency in Cleveland and running on about 20 cable channels and network stations in Ohio, is entirely unscripted. Other spots feature more patients and their young siblings, who talk about how their families are coping.