Summary
Every December, Aha Media Group makes a list of the year’s best hospital commercials — the ones that made us laugh, feel something, and hit pause to deliver our “now that’s good healthcare advertising” monologues. (Our families are very lucky.)
We then round up those ads and share them with our favorite people: fellow healthcare marketers. (That’s you!)
We’re happy to report it’s been another good year for hospital marketing. Without further ado …
This year’s best healthcare advertising campaigns shared a key theme: empathy. In a market increasingly driven by (and catering to) tech, these hospitals closed the trust gap through human-centric storytelling.
This pediatric hospital ad has it all: cute kids, earworm song, and humor. We can’t get over the mom breaking the third wall, acknowledging, “Yes, we’re back here again.”
Each of the scenes and characters in this commercial helps position Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta as the go-to place for all pediatric healthcare services.
Nothing is more frustrating than feeling dismissed by your health provider. Yet, this happens to women all the time. A 2025 study found that 93% of women “reported feeling dismissed when seeking answers for persistent health issues.”
The Christ Hospital Health Network recognizes this frustration and builds trust by validating patients’ experiences.
We’ve all seen the hospital commercials that show patients smiling and nodding at their clipboard-wielding physician. Yawn.
MedStar Health’s ad doesn’t focus on “Look how happy you’ll be at our hospital with our great providers.” The POV is the health journey of one patient, conveying that their providers are here to get patients back to their true happy place. This shift is refreshing.
In hospital ads, you don’t want to cross the line from emotional to sappy. But you also shouldn’t be afraid to inject emotion into your campaign. Empathy (like authority) is key to building trust.
Wood County Hospital’s ad demonstrates both — balancing messaging about its accolades with storytelling about the human providers who helped earn them.
It isn’t easy to convey “we get you” in just 15 seconds. NYU Langone Health communicates the benefit of their integrated electronic health record through empathy (instead of boring viewers with the details). Bonus points for the tongue-in-cheek joke.
Healthcare marketers love spotlighting medical breakthroughs, but it’s not always obvious to consumers why they should care. Our job is to show why those advancements matter. This ad does it well, illustrating how Yale’s research translates into life-changing patient outcomes.
Sometimes, it helps to look for campaign inspiration in less obvious places. These hospital-adjacent commercials spoke to us so much that we couldn’t help but include them.
Healthcare ads don’t always need professional production to resonate. Real and raw patient stories can be just as powerful. We loved this campaign by the American Hospital Association for its homegrown, user-generated content style.
This FIGS commercial flawlessly captures the experience of nurses, showing how deeply the apparel brand knows its audience. You know your audience just as well, healthcare marketer. Let your next campaign reflect that same level of empathy.
Want more healthcare campaign ideas? Subscribe to our newsletter for fresh hospital marketing insights to keep your creative wheels turnin’.
PREVIOUS YEARS’ HONOREES
A note: We don’t play favorites. These commercials are numbered for readability, not ranked in order.
Hartford HealthCare teamed up with Miguel Delvalle, a local barber, to offer free haircuts and healthcare to people experiencing homelessness in Hartford.
In this video, Miguel tells the story from his perspective. Note taken, Hartford HealthCare: Let your community speak for you.
In July 2021, Pedro and Augusto came to Dayton Children’s with a rare case that was classified as craniopagus O’Connell class III. These twins were joined at the head, with many interconnected organ systems.
Dayton Children’s Emmy-award-winning documentary, Connected, presents the story of their seemingly impossible separation. Watch the trailer below. (Warning: Prepare to get pulled in with its incredible storytelling.)
When Children’s Wisconsin says, “every aspect of health,” they mean it. This commercial shows examples of all the ways Children’s Wisconsin cares for their patients’ physical, social, and mental health — and demonstrates what “innovation” means to them.
Did you watch this year’s Super Bowl? You might remember this ad about Roswell Park’s Pet Therapy Program (narrated from the perspective of certified good boy, Hawk). Hearts: warmed.
Accidents could happen to anyone, but some are preventable. Cook Children’s gun safety PSA shares an important message: “Keep guns secured. Protect your children. Lock up all firearms.”
Cancer patients are often told how strong they are. After hearing it so much, the effect wears off. But it doesn’t make it any less true.
Covenant Health shows what strength means to them in a video that makes cancer patients feel truly seen and heard.
Nothing is impossible. Corewell Health is here to prove it.
This health system’s commercial teases some of its most inspiring patient stories, like Chris’.
Related: Looking to tell your patients’ stories in a meaningful way? See how UCLA Health’s storytelling brings in traffic and awards.
It’s hard to get humor right in hospital marketing. Illness and injury aren’t inherently funny, so jokes may offend (or worse — isolate) your target audience.
OrthoCarolina balances humor and empathy in this commercial that won a 2023 Wallie Award for Best Television Ad. (OC actually won two awards for ads in this category — view the other winner.) What better way to kick off our list of this year’s best hospital commercials?
A child with an illness is one of parents’ worst nightmares. In this ad, Dayton Children’s Hospital emphasizes the little things — the small touches that help children and parents feel comforted, cared for and supported.
This commercial gives viewers the warm & fuzzies, showing Dayton Children’s commitment to care that goes above and beyond.
With a school bus in view and peppy back-to-school music (it was released in August), you might not immediately notice the ad is for a hospital. It’s timely, relevant and catches your attention.
But what’s most impactful is the clip’s creative storytelling. Nemours* hints about the child’s future while allowing viewers to fill in the rest. See what we mean below.
Hope is potent, and ThedaCare captures this powerful emotion in its commercial. Watch as people of all ages and backgrounds face and overcome challenges that viewers will find very relatable.
Travis Kelce may be making headlines with the “two things at once” Pfizer ad (and for other reasons), but Peyton Manning is the original NFL-star-turned-commercial-legend. See how Ascension tapped into the power of celebrities with this adorable ad.
When your healthcare ad sparks so much love in the comments, it’s clear you’ve made a top hospital commercial. SickKids garners donations with innovative branding that stands out. This commercial reflects their unique approach.
A patient, Danny Delisi, opens a curiosity loop with a painful anecdote: “People would ask me, was I in an accident? Was I born that way?” He immediately draws you into his captivating story.
This HSS commercial is a masterclass in storytelling. (Are you seeing a theme?)
Children with physical disabilities (and their parents) are used to hearing from doctors what they can’t do. This Shriners ad spotlights what one of their patients can do with the help of a prosthetic. A rhyming script makes it even more punchy and memorable.
That’s a wrap on 2023’s best hospital commercials! But our list of watch-worthy campaigns doesn’t end here. Scroll through the best ads of 2020 – 2022 below and borrow some inspiration from the past.
This year’s review included commercials that are innovative, entertaining and tug at our heartstrings. But that’s not all. They echoed many of healthcare’s hottest trends. The commercials provided an introspective look at who we are as an industry and got us excited for what was yet to come in 2023 and beyond.
When people are sick or injured, they often turn to providers in their community. It comforts patients and their families when they don’t have to travel far to see a doctor. What’s on-trend in 2022 is using this as a marketing strategy.
Clinicians in the tight-knit community that Kaweah Health serves likely frequent the same shops, ball games and gathering places as their patients. Living in the same towns and experiencing life together (even though they might not know each other) strengthens the organization’s dedication to the people they serve.
This commercial shows how Community Health Network looks out for its patients by bringing world-class cancer care to Indiana. These efforts are in keeping with the notion that with community comes support, so patients don’t have to feel alone when they are sick.
Diversity, equity and inclusion was a big healthcare industry trend in 2022 and has been for a few years. Savvy hospitals are drawing on the diversity of their existing teams to help everyone feel welcome, whether they need care, are visiting a loved one or are seeking employment.
This commercial showcases Sutter Health clinicians, employees and patients. The two-minute montage highlights various ages, races, cultures and abilities, driving home the point that a lot of small details go into the excellent care they provide.
Consumerism is changing many aspects of health delivery, especially access. Hospitals are using innovative methods to connect patients with care at times and locations that meet their preferences.
Covenant Health shows how providing care on patients’ terms can save lives. A man with ongoing chest pain decided to get it checked out only when he learned that cardiologists were available in nearby clinics.
MedStar Health understands that access is as essential to its patients as the high-quality, compassionate care the organization is known for. This commercial demonstrates their flexible offerings, including same-day appointments, weekend urgent care clinics and virtual visits.
Innovation is an evergreen healthcare industry trend. But sharing advances in the field with consumers in a relatable way can be challenging. Top hospital commercials in this category highlight patient benefits and use plain language to explain what’s new and exciting at their organization.
Henry Ford Health provides examples of amazing care and outcomes through the eyes of its clinical team, staff and patients. They show how innovation is helping patients with severe conditions beat the odds and get back to their everyday lives.
Pediatric content often focuses on the family caregiver’s point of view. But school-aged children are often old enough to understand their treatment plan and what they want to get out of it. These commercials put pediatric patients in the driver’s seat and show how doctors tailor care to their needs and goals.
A pediatric heart specialist and former gymnast from Lurie Children’s walks on her hands to get her patient to take medications. Need we say more?
We’ve been selecting the best hospital commercials for years. Many aspects of the healthcare industry have changed over time. But the elements of a great hospital commercial remain the same. We want commercials that move us, inspire us and give us hope for humanity. The hospital ads on this 2021 list do just that.
We say the words “healthcare technology changes lives” all the time. But in this ad from Hackensack Meridian Health, you see it happening. A patient has severe tremors. After undergoing an innovative, incisionless procedure, he can drink a cup of water without shaking. And as he tearfully embraces his loved one, you see how grateful they are for this life-changing treatment.
This commercial by Penn Medicine focuses on how the hospital is moving medicine and healthcare forward. But there are no drab images of beakers in a lab or radiology slides. Instead, beautiful imagery and symbolism, with just the right touch of swelling music in the background, create a powerful ad. An orchestra conductor in motion illustrates the technology of bilateral hand transplants. Glowing fireflies demonstrate how injecting fluorescent dye helps find hidden tumor cells. The commercial makes you excited and hopeful about the future of medicine — and glad that Penn Medicine is helping us get there.
You won’t be able to resist Sophia. She narrates the thank you letter she’s writing to Valley Children’s Hospital, where the NICU staff cared for her when she was born prematurely. She describes the experience through the eyes of a child. (Her incubator is her “special fort.”) While she obviously doesn’t remember being in the NICU, she does know that whatever the staff did, they “made my mommy happy.”
This commercial from Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale New Haven Health shows what it means to have confidence in your care team. Hours before a consultation with her cancer care team, a mother can enjoy lunch with her son. She’s able to “laugh at the little things” because she knows Smilow has the big things handled.
Wesley Medical Center‘s commercial focuses on something that’s become even more essential over the past years: moments of kindness. A stranger lends someone an umbrella. A nurse Facetimes a patient’s family. One great “gotcha” moment in the commercial: It seems a staff member is using a shunt to drain fluid, but she’s actually putting candles on a birthday cake. That moment illustrates the essence of the ad: So much of a patient’s hospital experience depends on the kindness of the staff. A hospital staff that gets a patient a birthday cake seems like a special place.
It’s probably no surprise that Johns Hopkins, one of the world leaders in clinical trials and research, highlights those aspects in their ad. They mention the blood test they developed that screens for 8 different types of cancer and new treatments that reduce damage after a heart attack. These advances help move medicine forward for everyone.
OK, we admit it: We’re suckers for a good bait-and-switch. And this commercial from UCHealth does not disappoint. Watch mountain biker Brian Malek, a real UCHealth patient, ride his mountain bike downhill, making dizzying turns. A voice-over explains the details of the “most extraordinary technology in mountain biking” that enables him to be such a great rider. Spoiler alert: It’s NOT his bike. (If you just have to know: It’s his spine, which he had replaced by the team at UCHealth after a fracture. And because UCHealth knows you’re going to want to read more about Brian, they linked to his story from their homepage.)
The Hospital for Sick Children knows the incredible strength and power within children. The ad shows kids overtaking the darkness of childhood illness — literally. It’s moving and powerful.
*Indicates Aha Media’s past or current clients.
Behind every evocative hospital commercial is a patient-centric video strategy.
We’re here to help!
AUTHOR
Ahava is a leading expert in healthcare content strategy and is recognized for her ability to make complex medical information accessible. She has spent nearly two decades transforming how healthcare organizations communicate with their audiences. Ahava is trusted across the industry for her clarity, evidence-based approach, and thought leadership.
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