Creating a compelling hospital commercial is a true art. When it’s time for our yearly top hospital commercials list, we look for ads that have strong storytelling. And, as always, we avoided those commercials that used heavy-handed medical language and imagery. Healthcare should be about health—not just care. Institutions that punctuate that point win us over every year.
We also paid special attention to how healthcare organizations welcomed patients back to their hospitals and reassured them of their safety in the middle of a pandemic.
The Best Hospital Commercials During the COVID-19 Pandemic
2020 has been a rough one, but that did not stop healthcare organizations from creating excellent, impactful commercials. Here’s our list of the 10 best!
A More-Than-Honorable Mention: A coalition of 100 hospitals
100 hospitals, including Cleveland Clinic, UCLA Health and New York-Presbyterian, teamed up to create the Every Mask Up initiative urging Americans to wear face masks. The Every Mask Up ad is powerful and effective because it comes from our pandemic heroes — healthcare workers. And when multiple esteemed healthcare organizations unite to relay one message, it makes an impact.
#10: Henry Ford Health System*
Henry Ford Health System understands our challenges and struggles. They acknowledge that the mask-wearing, physical-distancing, virtual-everything existence we’ve been living isn’t easy. But, they assert, this “tough love” will keep us and others safe until we get to the other side of the pandemic.
#9: Kaiser Permanente Thrive
This ad by Kaiser Permanente Thrive features Major League Soccer’s 2019 MVP Carlos Vela of the Los Angeles FC soccer team. Vela compares the exhaustion of a tough game to our pandemic experience. Sometimes, during a game, nothing goes according to plan. The players are tired and want to just give up. Sound familiar? But Vela’s rousing pep talk inspires viewers to look to the future and be a team player — wear a mask, stay at home — so we can emerge triumphant.
#8: Children’s Health
This ad from Children’s Health celebrates kids’ resiliency, especially this year — they’ve adapted to life during the pandemic with grace and strength. And the ad also reassures parents that their kids will receive safe, excellent care at the hospital.
#7: Banner Health
A Zoom baby shower, drive-by birthday party and outdoor haircut are just a few of the clips Banner Health uses to illustrate how our lives have changed. This commercial shows that just like we’ve adapted, their hospital has, too. They provide enhanced safety procedures and more care options, like expanded telehealth services. The classic Bob Dylan song, “The Times They Are a-Changin'” poignantly drives home the message.
#6: AdventHealth
This ad from AdventHealth focuses on a simple fact: No matter how challenging times get, we continue to go on. We wake up, take care of ourselves, take care of others. And just like the body parts work together to make a person whole, each person works together to make our world whole. The commercial fits perfectly with the healthcare organization’s tagline, “A leader in whole-person care.”
#5: Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital
Is there anything sweeter than a child’s hard-earned success? This commercial from Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital shows how kids triumph after near-defeat. It’s inspiring and will leave a lasting impression on parents.
#4: Ascension
Ascension is a faith-based healthcare organization. There is no voiceover or dialogue in this ad, but the message couldn’t be clearer: The providers and staff at Ascension care for you as a person, not just as a patient. The work they do is more than a job. It’s a calling.
#3: Roper St. Francis Healthcare
This ad isn’t about convincing you to choose them for care. The staff at Roper St. Francis Healthcare thanks you in this commercial. They’re grateful for the support and appreciation people have shown them throughout the pandemic. And they are eager to get back to (safely) providing care for the community.
#2: Children’s Hospital Colorado*
This lighthearted and fun commercial from Children’s Hospital Colorado is the only one on our list that does not mention the pandemic. It doesn’t need to. Its message resonates, always: Kids are different from adults. They need different expertise, treatment and care, which the staff at Children’s Hospital Colorado provides.
#1: Sutter Health
This Sutter Health commercial snags the top spot on our list. It muses how a single body part — the elbow — has been essential to contributing to our safety this year. (Hello, elbow bumps!) And just like we’ve adapted to elbow-door-opening and elbow-button-pushing, they, too, have made many adjustments to keep patients safe.
Do you agree with our picks? Are there other commercials you think should’ve made our list? Let us know on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or LinkedIn!
*Indicates an Aha Media client.
