Behavior-changing campaigns rely on more than insights to be successful. It’s about connecting with people on a deeper level where they dwell and sparking emotions deep inside they just can’t shake. In today’s omnichannel environment, behavior-changing ideas blend creativity and engagement planning to create meaningful customer experiences. In honor of Cannes Lions Health, I chose campaigns from around the world that are not only creative but also create positive health behaviors.

See also: Agency leaders share advice on how to navigate Lions Health




Campaign: The 11 Initiative
Company: Aetna  
Agency: Ogilvy & Mather US

Most anti-smoking campaigns take the approach of using scare tactics. Aetna turned this on its head by taking a positive spin on the subject. For every cigarette you smoke, it costs you 11 minutes of life so giving up a cigarette could give you back 11 minutes of life — Aetna and Ogilvy & Mather wanted to make them memorable so they created Machine 11.


Campaign: Sun Kids
Company: Nivea
Agency: FCB Brazil

Nivea and FCB Brazil created the Nivea Doll — a doll made out of UV-sensitive material. When the doll is exposed to the sun without sunscreen, its’ skin quickly turns red, instantly depicting the harmful effects of the sun. To reduce the redness, a dollop of Nivea sunscreen turns the doll’s skin back to its normal shade. This is a great example of how to change negative into positive behaviors.


Campaign: Treated like a Number
Company: Fides Salud
Agency: Braga Mendez, Argentina

Fides Salud, a healthcare provider in Argentina, has a mission to treat patients like people, not just numbers. This campaign’s halo effect reminds all healthcare providers to stop treating patients like numbers and patients to realize it is not acceptable to be treated that way either.


Campaign: The Luck Plan
Company: Get Covered Illinois
Agency: Downtown Partners US

Millennials, the one generation that would benefit most from President Obama’s Affordable Care Act, were not taking advantage of it. This campaign does a fantastic job of using insights to catch the eye of younger, uninsured types. It outlines a tongue-in-cheek healthcare plan “based entirely on luck.”


Campaign: Life Saving Dot
Company: Talwar Bindi
Agency: Grey Singapore

Women in rural India have access to iodine supplements but were not taking them. But almost every Indian woman wears a bindi, a traditional symbol of beauty. What if these tiny little dots could do more? The Life Saving Dot, an idea that transformed bindis into iodine patches, is an excellent example of behavior-changing creativity at its best.


Campaign: Always Wear a Helmet
Company: Thai Health Promotion Foundation
Agency: Y&R Bangkok

Wearing a helmet when riding a bike is such a simple and expected behavior that could save lives but people still don’t wear them. Like anti-smoking ads, helmet ads often rely on scare tactics. This ad uses a powerful visual of a horrific accident yet the heads of the victims in the accident are protected to show the positive benefit of wearing a helmet.

Tina Fascetti is chief creative officer at Guidemark Health.