Daily Archives: January 23, 2018

Healthcare (B)Ads

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I was watching a TV ad last night for a local hospital and groaned to the wifus as the fifth obligatory shot of a doctor group hit the screen. You’ve seen it before — the blue scrubs, four or five smiling heads. (Proper smiling is harder than surgery for some.)  The only things that set this spot apart from the hundreds of other interchangeable hospital spots was the fact that each doc/nurse held a card containing a smiley face. And each smiley face was on what I thought was an outline of the state of NC.  My wife told me it was a smiley face on a heart outline. A Valentines heart.

She thought it cute. Me not so much.

What was the muscle memory of the ad, which I believe was created for Pardee Hospital?  If the cards held by the doctors were hearts, I’m assuming they have a cardiology practice.  Otherwise, the only take-away was they have a lot of people working there. And they can all stand up.  The copy was gobbledy, the visuals deafening in their silence, no idea and, frankly, no heart. “We’re Here” advertising at is worst.

The state of the advertising art in healthcare continues to be at an all-time low. Search What’s The Idea? posts for comments about Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center to see that even the best practitioners are lagging. Pity.

Peace.