Top Spot of the Week: Director Lance Acord, Goodby Silverstein & Partners Take "The Plunge" For One Medical

“Who will you be?” That’s the question One Medical is asking in its first ever TV commercial which is slated to launch on January 20 during CNN’s coverage of the presidential inauguration.

Directed and shot by Lance Acord of Park Pictures for Goodby Silverstein & Partners, the spot follows the journey of Bay Area open water swimmer, Mina Rhoden, as she carries out her daily ritual of swimming in the frigid Bay Area waters. It’s a routine that she, much like many other fitness enthusiasts, has embraced even more during the pandemic. With pools, gyms, and other recreational facilities closed, people have turned to new outdoor hobbies instead--spending an average of 14 hours a week outside.

“We wanted to use the inauguration, this moment of a new beginning, tremendous change, to get people thinking about the changes they could make in their own lives,” said Doug Sweeny, CMO of membership-based primary care practice One Medical.

In a recent study weighing the effects of the pandemic, 28% of participants said they’ve increased their exercise frequency, 34% are eating more healthy food, and 68% are paying more attention to risk factors for health issues.  

Rhoden has never appeared in a commercial before. She explains that she decided to be in the film for one reason: “I wanted to inspire more people of color and women of different body types to get in the water and try open water swimming.”

“This last year has forced us all to reevaluate every aspect of our lives--from our careers to our relationships, and of course, our health,” said Margaret Johnson, chief creative officer at Goodby Silverstein and Partners. “We hope Mina’s open-water swimming inspires more people to explore new ways to stay healthy.”