The ads in the latest installment of Kaiser Permanente's "Thrive" campaign at first evoke thoughts of TV spots for a computer company or financial organization, rather than those of a healthcare organization.
The stunning visuals and topical content have propelled the commercials to go viral online—one of them, "Emerald Cities," has been viewed more than 5,000 times on YouTube. But the Oakland, CA-based organization's marketers will tell you that the ads' distinction is part of why the five-year branding campaign has achieved such success.
Kaiser launched the campaign in 2004 to differentiate the 35-hospital organization in the eight regions in which it operates. After conducting research on other healthcare organizations' messaging, marketers decided one way Kaiser could differentiate itself was to promote health as opposed to healthcare—reinforcing their emphasis on preventative care.
"Thrive is almost a public service message to the marketplace that says this isn't just about our Kaiser members—it's about the fact that we want our communities to thrive," says Debbie Cantu, vice president of brand marketing and advertising at Kaiser. "Everyone benefits when people are healthier. We ultimately started to evolve that message to talk more about the KP differentiators."
When creating the visual palate for the campaign, designers set out to craft realistic ads.
"We wanted to create real moments in people's lives where they're eating healthier or dancing or out mowing or just enjoying life," says Mark Simon, executive creative director at Campbell-Ewald, an agency based out of Detroit and Los Angeles. "We wanted that energy to come through."
The campaign consists of print, TV, radio, cinema, a microsite, social media, and outdoor, including billboards, cabs, bus sides, and public transit.
One of the difficulties in building a long-lasting branding campaign is the possibility that it will become outdated. Simon says he's had this obstacle in mind from the campaign's inception and he isn't afraid to tweak certain elements when necessary.
For example, in the early stages of the campaign, designers set certain keywords in a larger font than the rest of the text on the print and outdoor ads. It made sense during that time period, says Simon, but it is a style they no longer use.
"We're not talking a massive shift in art direction, but I just felt that if you look at how culture and style evolves it felt dated to me," he says. "It's not an earth-shattering revelation, but I think it's important in making sure that this campaign remains relevant, which is what Thrive is all about."
This year's three latest ads, "Emerald Cities," "Connected," and "Invest" tackle electronic medical record (EMR) technology and the current economic crisis—topics that Thrive hasn't addressed before. Marketers made sure to mold these new messages in a way that they would still fall under the brand umbrella.
"If we change our voice significantly, it's a disruption to the marketplace and a disruption to the campaign," Cantu says. "How we deliver that message is varied slightly, but it's always in the context of the bigger brand voice."
Emerald Cities emphasizes that EMR implementation would benefit the environment, and then some.
"It wasn't just about helping the environment, but it was also about the ability to share info that would ultimately change people's lives and make the world a better place," says Simon. "You can look beyond the technology of it and look at how it benefits people, and not even just Kaiser Permanente members but people all over the world."
The Connected ad approaches EMRs from a different angle and attempts to demystify a technology that may be confusing to many consumers.
"The challenge was how to keep it within in the personality of the brand, but talk about something that is pretty technical," says Simon. "We had to merge technology with the campaign, which is inherently human. Kaiser's philosophy is that it's technology in service of humanity."
The ad promotes benefits to the user by featuring the patient as much as the technology.
"Part of what we wanted to do was redefine what an EMR should be and have it truly reflect the patient," Cantu says. "We wanted to talk about that, but talk about it in a way that communicates its benefits to the members."
The Invest ad is Kaiser's 2009 wellness message, one of a series that they put out every year. However, this year's message is different—it broaches the current financial crisis.
"The ad has a wink and a nod to the fact that people are very skittish in investing in the market and their financial portfolio right now," Cantu says. "We're flipping that on its head and saying, but now is really the time to invest in your health. Even if everything else has gone away you still can invest in your health."
Since the campaign launched in 2004, Kaiser's north and south California markets have seen double-digit increases in perception, which represents brand awareness and whether non-members are considering switching to Kaiser.
The Thrive campaign has kept Kaiser competitive in its markets nationwide because its marketers are constantly adapting the content to reflect the current times. "It has evolved slightly over that time," says Simon. "In this year's work we've developed a creative equity and a consistency of the campaign we've evolved certain things here and there to keep it relative, fresh, and contemporary."