Creative agency Arnold has been hired by Forward Health, an entirely new healthcare system empowering doctors with technology and data to monitor and guide long-term health. Arnold has been working with Forward Health to evolve its strategic brand positioning, and is launching its first national consumer-facing brand awareness campaign–”Healthcare is Backwards.”
The initial campaign includes two spots, including this one which takes us into a doctor’s waiting room as a patient has an offbeat nonsensical experience signing in for an appointment. The Perlorian Brothers of MJZ directed both TV/online films in which the action unfolds a bit backwards, literally.
“To achieve the forward-moving/backwards effect, some of actors had to perform entire sequences in reverse,” noted Arnold chief creative officer Sean McBride. “We then reversed those scenes, so they appear to be happening forwards, but with these wonderfully askew mannerisms and totally indecipherable dialogue. As an aside, I found it totally impossible to predict what would and wouldn’t work in reverse, so there was lots of trial and error. I can now tell you that hospital PA announcements sound almost the same backwards and forwards, while backwards laughter looks and sounds like demonic possession.”
Jonathan Beamer, head of marketing, Forward Health, added, “In creating the ‘Healthcare is Backwards’ brand positioning, Arnold did a terrific job at crystallizing our brand benefit and providing us with a uniquely ownable platform. This new campaign captures the feelings of frustration and bewilderment that unfortunately many people experience when they visit a doctor’s office, and it does so in a humorous, yet empathetic way.”
Beginning this month, the films will be viewable across Facebook, YouTube and streaming TV, and on linear TV in Los Angeles. Supporting ads will run across podcasts and digital banners nationally, and OOH in the L.A. market. The campaign will roll out across more markets later in the year as the brand opens new locations.
