Northwell Health: The Fin [image]

Credits & Description:

Title: The Fin
Agency: J. Walter Thompson
Brand: Northwell Health
Country: USA
Entrant Company: J. Walter Thompson, New York
Advertising Agency: J. Walter Thompson, New York
Media Agency: Metavision Media, New York
Production Company: J. Walter Thompson, New York
Production Associate: Justin Snow (J. Walter Thompson New York)
Head Of Digital Production: Jennifer Usdan Mcbride (J. Walter Thompson New York)
Director Of Music & Radio: Paul Greco (J. Walter Thompson New York)
Head Of Content Production: Anthony Nelson (J. Walter Thompson New York)
Strategist: Marina Pen (J. Walter Thompson New York)
Agency Producer: Tom Mishra (J. Walter Thompson New York)
Business Director: John Danbeck (J. Walter Thompson New York)
Creative Director: Itai Inselberg (J. Walter Thompson New York)
Executive Creative Director: Ben James (J. Walter Thompson New York)
Creative Director: Sean Ellman (J. Walter Thompson New York)
Development Partner: Dan Lasko (Usmc Ret.)
Project Manager: Christine Fiorentino (J. Walter Thompson New York)
Director Of Technology: Kamran Aslam (J. Walter Thompson New York)
Chief Creative Officer: Brent Choi (J. Walter Thompson New York)
Digital Producer: Angela Oneill (J. Walter Thompson New York)
Account Director: Javier Bracero (J. Walter Thompson New York)
Creative Director: Karl Ackermann (J. Walter Thompson New York)
Art Director: Bob Broadfoot (J. Walter Thompson New York)
Copywriter: Rob Colucci (J. Walter Thompson New York)
Account Manager: Vincent Falcetano (J. Walter Thompson New York)
Associate Director Of Technology: Juan Turcios (J. Walter Thompson New York)
Digital Designer: David Cocciante (J. Walter Thompson New York)
3d Bioprinting Researcher/Engineer: Dr. Todd Goldstein, Ph.D. (Northwell Health)
Strategist: Marta Larock (J. Walter Thompson New York)
Strategist: Chan Ruanglek (J. Walter Thompson New York)
Chief Marketing Officer/Client: Ramon Soto (Northwell Health)
Vp, Integrated Marketing/Client: Don Simon (Northwell Health)
Advertising Manager/Client: Katie Irizarry (Northwell Health)
Certified Prosthetist: Matt Flynn (Eschen Prosthetics)
Senior Director, Advertising/Client: Jennifer Nelson (Northwell Health)
Svp And Chief Public Relations/Client: Terry Lynam (Northwell Health)
Director, Public Relations/Client: Barbara Osborn (Northwell Health)
Director, Military And Veteran Liaison Services/Client: Juan Serrano (Northwell Health)
Cpo, President: Andrew Meyers (Eschen Prosthetics)
Director Of Operations: Alex Meyers (Eschen Prosthetics)
Director Of Prosthetics: Glenn Hutnick (Eschen Prosthetics)
Associate Director Of Communications: Claire Charruau (J. Walter Thompson New York)
Underwater Dp: Ahad Mahmood (Ahad Mahmood)
Synopsis:
Northwell Health is one of the largest hospital systems in the world, with 61,000 employees, 550 clinician centers and 21 hospitals.They have a commitment to raising the standard of health care through innovation.•As of 2016, no prosthetic allowed for a seamless transition from land to water. •In the past, amputees had to remove or change their prosthetic to enter the water. Many avoid it altogether due to this situation.•6% of injured veterans return from war missing a limb.•There are 2 million amputees in the United States.•As a hospital network, Northwell has a very limited media budget.
Execution:
A first-of-its-kind amphibious prosthetic that allows veterans to enter and exit the water without changing prosthetics. By serving their needs, The Fin raises awareness around their challenges. The Fin is a PR story disguised as an amphibious prosthetic. •The campaign launched with an exclusive front-page story in the New York Times. •This was followed by a 25-minute Facebook live event that was viewed by 164 thousand. •A press conference demonstrating how The Fin changed the life of a veteran amputee.•A short film and online hub allowed interested parties to control which pieces of the story they consumed.•A short film doubled as a media kit, amplifying The Fin’s narrative. •Weeks later, paid placements targeted veterans, their families, sports enthusiasts in the New York area, across social media, web banners, email and with out-of-home.
Campaign Description:
The creative idea came in two successive phases: 1) Instead of talking about Northwell Health’s incredible veteran services and innovative philosophy, we demonstrated it by creating an innovation in real time. After months of development, the Fin was born as a PR/media story disguised as an amphibious prosthetic. 2) The second part, and equally important, was to use this innovation to launch a customizable media story for outlets to use and target to specific audiences through earned media.
Audience:
• Veterans (and their families) of military service in search of innovative treatment for themselves and their families.• The Broader community to understand the life amputees go through every day.
Outcome:
The Fin not only transformed how the public sees Northwell Health and its innovative services, it will change the lives of countless amputees.•“It felt like I had my leg back.” - Dan Lasko, recipient of The Fin.•Commended by veteran organizations like The Department of Veterans Affairs and The Purple Heart Foundation.•Since launch, a new group of amputees have reached out and begun the process of receiving The Fin. •Video segments by broadcast TV stations and online by major news networks (CNN, Fox, ABC, NBC, etc).•$4.9 million in earned media placements.•548% growth in social media mentions.•248 million impressions.•A mini-documentary that was recut by media outlets like The Today Show.•A two-page story on the cover of the science section of The New York Times.•Followed by a Facebook live event viewed by 164 thousand.
Strategy:
While the ask was to create an ad campaign, the agency noticed an unmet need in prosthetics and proposed creating a first-of-its-kind amphibious prosthetic. The idea of the prosthetic was to design an innovative promotional item, followed by a media kit that allowed the story to be customized and reach many audiences. •This ideas would promote real life, real time innovation in action to demonstrate the incredible capabilities of Northwell Health’s Military and Veteran Liaison Services. •Promote Northwell’s different medical expertise, such as 3D printing and Veterans Services. •Promote the innovative design through the journey of a retired Marine returning to the water. •Consider the communities Northwell wants to reach: veterans, their families, amputees.
Relevancy:
The Fin is groundbreaking medical device that improves the lives of those who use it.It engages and informs the health community and brings science and innovation to life. It was launched with a PR campaign and an earned-media-first approach targeting veterans and their families.