Novartis is returning to the Super Bowl, using one of advertising’s biggest cultural stages to address a critical men’s health issue: the tendency to wait until it’s too late to get screened for prostate cancer.
During the second half of Super Bowl LX, Novartis will debut this :60, “Relax Your Tight End.: The spot is directed by Eric Wareheim, and features a lineup of star NFL tight ends–along with Super Bowl–winning coach and prostate cancer survivor Bruce Arians. The work introduces the broader “Relax, It’s a Blood Test” platform, a build on last year’s “Your Attention Please” breast cancer work.
While prostate cancer affects 1 in 8 men, the real barrier is behavior: 60% of men avoid the doctor because they think screening requires an invasive exam. This is more than a celebrity spot–it’s an exercise in hyper-authentic “peer-to-peer” marketing.
–The Atmosphere: To capture a genuine “exhale” on camera, Wareheim played Enya on set to keep the players—including tight end Rob Gronkowski and coach Arians—genuinely calm.
–The Authenticity: The film is packed with details rooted in the athletes’ real lives, including hobbies like painting.
–The Tight End “Family”: The casting reflects the real-life brotherhood of the NFL and tight end community, which helped ensure the feeling of an authentic conversation among peers who truly believed in the cause.
In addition to Gronkowski and Arians, the spot also includes tight ends Greg Olsen, George Kittle, Tony Gonzalez, Delanie Walker, Vernon Davis, and Colby Parkinson.
The campaign was led by Fallon (creative), Publicis N2 (media), Bespoke Sports & Entertainment (activation), Digitas Health, and supported by a collection of Publicis Groupe talent and resources.
