Health, Wellness, & Animation
Creative proposals for animated commercials are sometimes met with doubt by clients about whether an animated story would merely serve to trivialise a serious brand message, and if it’s an appropriate executional approach for an adult target audience.
Legitimate concerns that are not always easy to address convincingly, especially in context of the health and wellness sector of advertising communication.
But as many highly effective commercials have shown, fondness of animated stories endures from childhood to adulthood. Its visual enchantment is universal and something one never really grows out of.
Intuitively applied, animated film scenarios can be powerful attention grabbing conveyers of motivational messages for adult viewers. Especially when dealing with abstract or complicated issues that require enlightenment.
1. Curaviva, Rosemarie
Advertising Agency: CR-K, Basel, Switzerland
Curaviva Switzerland represents over 2,700 institutions across the country. From children and young people in need, to people with disabilities and people of old age, the member institutions provide a home for around 120,000 people, and employ more than 130,000 carers dedicated to their wellbeing.
For Livio her caretaker, Rosemarie’s story of her eventful life from early childhood to being an elderly WWII survivor, is inspirational. And in a drive to recruit more young health professionals, the animated film serves as a motivational inducement that choosing long-term health care as career, is a rewarding opportunity for being able to help others and become part of their story.
Advertising Agency CR-K, and the team of 3D animators at Roof Studio Production Company in New York, USA, led by Bruno Celegão, accrued many international advertising awards, the most notable being:
A Gold Lia for Health & Wellness Craft Animation, a Gold Lia for Heath & Wellness Craft Art Direction, and a Gold Lia for Health & Wellness Craft Direction.
2. Insmed, Unbreakable
Advertising Agency: AREA 23, New York, USA
Headquartered in Bridgewater Township, New Jersey, USA, Insmed is a global biopharmaceutical company on a mission to transform the lives of patients with serious and rare diseases.
Insmed’s ‘Unbreakable’ 3D CGI Animation film by Roof Studio Production Company in New York, USA, features Barbara the Bunny, in a metaphoric tale based on actual experiences of NTM sufferers.
NTM (Nontuberculous Mycobacteria) is a rare lung disease, that can be difficult to identify because the symptoms are so similar to other common lung conditions, and as a result it is often undiagnosed by doctors.
Barbara the Bunny’s story, is a lavish and superbly animated depiction of the stressful impact being undiagnosed can have on people’s lives.
When she comes alive in a magical toy factory, Barbara begins to cough, and is ejected when she fails the factory’s ‘Quality Control’ checks. Finding herself out on the street, she begins her journey across the city seeking professional help.
Insmed’s ‘Unbreakable’ received many international award accolades which include a Cresta Awards Film Craft Grand Prix, a Pharma & Medical Education and Services Gold Lia, and a Pharma & Medical Craft Animation Silver Lia.
3. GOSH Charity, One Step Closer To Home
Advertising Agency: adam&eveDDB, London, UK
Animation Production Company: Strange Beast, London, UK
Directed by the London based, Tjoff Koong filmmaking duo, of Korean Tezo Kyungdon Lee, and Swedish Magnus Lenneskog, ‘One Step Closer To Home’ is based on a real-life GOSH patient called Henry, who has spent two previous Christmases at the hospital receiving specialist care for a rare cardiac condition requiring, as depicted in the animated commercial, a tracheostomy ventilation tube.
The story of Henry collecting stocking donations on his way home to Yorkshire that magically help him to grow taller than Big Ben, until he finally reaches his own bed on Christmas Eve, followed by a good nights sleep, and an enchanting awakening in the morning makes for emotive viewing.
Norwegian pop star Sigrid donated his “Home to you” hit for the commercial’s soundtrack, and Hearts & Science developed a media buying campaign covering a range of social platforms.
Hamleys, the world’s most famous toy shop, created a giant Christmas tree installation in their Regent Street store, with a model of Henry on top of the tree, built by acclaimed model maker Andy Gent.
Money raised by the GOSH Charity’s festive season campaign will help support research into pioneering new treatments, the acquisition of cutting-edge medical equipment, the essential rebuilding and refurbishment of the hospital, and making it a home from home for children and their families across the UK, requiring continuing treatment over the festive season.
4. Erste Bank, The Composer
Advertising Agency: Jung von Matt/DONAU, Vienna, Austria
Production Company: Passion Pictures Animation Studio, London, UK
Headquartered in Vienna, Austria, The Erste Group Bank AG’s ‘The Composer’ animated commercial, is about Marie, an optimistic caregiver, who with kindness and persistence, helps Edgar, an ageing composer, to reconnect to his past passions in order to prevent him from increasingly withdrawing into himself.
On the ‘Creative Boom’ website, Erste Group Bank spokesperson Martin Radjaby-Rasset remarked, that loneliness and isolation have been the defining themes of the Covid-19 pandemic, and being isolated from family and friends is especially hard-felt by the aged at Christmas time.
“We wanted to show what’s possible when people are there for each other and when they believe in themselves and others, especially in these times”.
The soundtrack is by Mcasso Music Studios, London, Composer Mike MacLennan, and the Budapest Scoring Orchestra.
5. Disney Studios, From Our Family To Yours
‘From Ou Family To Yours’ was produced in-house by Disney Channel UK last year, in support of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, that helps to fulfil the wishes of critically ill children.
The online short-story film, was directed by Angela Affinita, brand and creative marketing director at Disney Consumer Products, Games and Publishing for Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Working alongside specialist New Zealand-based animation studio Flux, the scenario about Lola and her granddaughter, took six months to develop involving much research in reviewing archive imagery, and referencing Angela’s personal experiences of growing up with her Filipina grandmother and making star lanterns.
Using a computerised 3D animation rendering pipeline, Flux studio crafted an impressive film of great detail featuring a little dog, treasured possessions, and family photographs, that motivated one million global views in a mere three days after its release.
The resonant soundtrack of “Love is a Compass”, is by English singer and songwriter, Sarah Faith Griffiths.
6. GOSH Charity, Home for Christmas
Advertising Agency: adam&eveDDB, London, UK
GOSH, the Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity’s festive season commercial of last year, by adam&eveDDB London, was animated by Dutch illustrator and filmmaker Marlies van der Wel.
‘Home for Christmas’ pays tribute to supporters of the hospital and its dedicated staff for their tireless efforts, under extremely challenging pandemic conditions, to reunite children with their families for Christmas.
Mia, who was only three years old when she was submitted to GOSH with a rare neurological condition, is enchantingly depicted in a dream-like scenario of her returning home, that becomes a reality, when she and her elder sister Amy, have a joyful Christmas reunion.
The soulful soundtrack is by acclaimed pianist/composer Pieter de Graaf.
Proceeds from the GOSH Christmas campaign will help fund pioneering research programmes, state-of-the-art medical technology, and other vital support initiatives.