For many creatives, healthcare advertising used to be quite a scary place (myself included). With acronyms for acronyms, approval processes with more layers than an onion, and product names that look like someone has sat on a keyboard, you can understand why. 

But things have changed in the world of healthcare and with this change comes a renewed sense of creative opportunity. Covid brought a degree of publicity previously unknown to pharmaceutical brands. And although other industries suffered, the global healthcare market grew by 19.8% in 2021 and shows little sign of slowing down.¹

With this growth comes an appetite to compete. To do so well will mean making better ads than the decades gone by. So I’ve put together some Halloween-inspired tips for health brands to be a little more treat and a little less trick this year…

But before the tips, we must understand the core challenge in health

Typically, advertising is selling you improvement. That might be an improvement on the way you bank, on your car, or even on your mood. A strong business proposition is one where the improvement is clear. Here’s a chart showing the usual promise made by an ad: 

But when it comes to health, we aren’t selling ‘better’. Instead, we’re selling a return to ‘normal’ everyday life.  

When you take a headache pill, your headache goes away. You don’t miraculously lead a better life, but instead you’re back to your normal life. And it’s from this promise of normality that leads so much of the creative work to the same place… 

Tip 1: Aim for somewhere between normal and paranormal 

If health products get you back to normal, the next logical step is to just show that. It’s why you see so many health ads with people walking on mountains or beaches. And this is why so much work risks blending in. If you’re considering an ad that works with almost any lifestyle photo, you probably don’t have a unique idea – and you should bury it.  The next four tips will help you move away from normal and get to the more ‘paranormal’ ads...

Tip 2: Embrace life and death 

What washing detergent brief has life and death at the heart of it? What auto brand promises such emotional highs and lows as losing your vision, your bodily functions, or your life? Very few other industries touch on these serious topics. Rather than shying away from the emotional highs and lows of human health, we should instead embrace them. Yes, there is often quite detailed data and science to be communicated. But it should all be packaged up in an emotional burrito that’s quick and easy to consume, remember and repeat. 

Tip 3: Be a USP zombie

 Zombies live a simple life. They want one thing. Brains. And I think like with all forced Halloween metaphors there’s a lesson in there: be single-minded. When it comes to healthcare ads, there is a bit of a tendency to try to say it all and end up saying nothing at all. So stick to your point of difference and reiterate it like an endless wave of brand hungry zombies would. 

Tip 4: Silence the lambs 

Someone always has to be the first. Why not you? In this industry, there are a lot of firsts waiting to happen. Understandably it’s a risk averse industry, but what’s riskier than letting your competition get there first? So don’t be a scared little lamb. Be the black sheep and go make that experimental film, shoot that funny health campaign, or sponsor that patient to travel the world… because someone else will. 

Tip 5: Be a zeitgeist poltergeist 

The healthcare industry is at an interesting crossroads. Globally we are seeing intense health challenges like never before. And public trust in government institutions to tackle societal goals has fallen to a low of 44% compared to 55%² of people who believe business is capable of tackling societal problems. So healthcare businesses find themselves at the beginning of a new era where their role in the future can help shape things for the better.  

So instead of sitting back and watching, we must urge ourselves to be the ones to take action and shape the zeitgeist itself. Vaccine hesitancy, for example, is not a new trend. Yet Covid showed us how important it is for the industry to continually educate, build trust and get ahead of issues which ultimately will affect us whether we had a plan in place or not. 

Bonus tip: Choose a creative partner willing to scare you

Because every great idea that changes behaviour should ultimately get the heart racing just a little bit. So choose a creative business willing to propel your brand forwards into the new era.

1. https://www.blackrock.com/institutions/en-us/insights/investment-actions/healthcare-outlook

2. Edelman Trust Barometer 2022