From cheeky reminders to “check your chest” to a campaign that just might make you cry (looking at you, Mastercard), this collection of work runs the gamut. It proves that, despite persistent stereotypes, healthcare work doesn’t have to be boring, corny or basic.

In fact, it’s quite the opposite. It can make you giggle, well up or rethink the way you see things. It can be smart and powerful and most importantly, as the campaigns below show, can serve as an agent for change.


The Struggle Is Real
Love Wellness

Any spot that says the words “vagina probs” on TV is an immediate win for me. In a society that seems determined to take away women’s rights (and deny trans people gender-affirming healthcare), it’s a true thrill to see a diverse, inclusive spot that encourages us to talk about the “shameful” stuff that happens to all of us. And just in case you’re wondering: Yes, it does thrill my elder millennial self that Love Wellness is the brainchild of Laguna Beach alum Lo Bosworth.


A Breath of Stress Air
Truth

You know the campaigns that make you go, “Damn, I wish I came up with that”? This is one of those for me. I love the simplicity of the line “a breath of stress air” paired with the thumb-stopping, of-the-moment art direction. The spot perfectly epitomizes the sort of “TL; DR” (too long; didn’t read) method of casual communication that characterizes Gen-Z interaction, and manages to do so without being cheugy (that’s Gen Z’s word for “try hard,” or “uncool” for all my fellow olds).


Mastercard Touch Card
Mastercard

My favorite ads are the ones that make me feel something, and this Mastercard spot does just that. The latest innovation to come out of Mastercard’s commitment to inclusivity, the Touch Card is designed to help blind and partially sighted people determine which card they’re holding by touch alone. The spot is simple but powerful, featuring real people and ending on an emotional whammy of a line that reminds us just how much work we have left to do on the inclusivity front: “Because a world designed for all of us is Priceless.”


Pause is Power
Powerade

We could all use a moment of pause — and who better to remind us of that than Simone Biles, who took a public (and incredibly powerful) pause when she pulled out of the Tokyo Olympic Games? Biles anchors this new campaign from Powerade, which manages to be at once emotionally resonant and downright hilarious (football players dancing ballet in the rain! Tom Daley knitting a sweater!).


Itty Titty Stickies
Superdrug

I’m always amazed by what advertisers get away with across the pond — and this campaign, designed to encourage people to take control of their breast and pec health, is no exception. A series of adorable boob stickers to be handed out when people when you pick up your contraceptive pills from London’s Superdrug pharmacy, the initiative is a thoughtful and fun way to remind folks to stay aware of any changes to their chest.


Your Cousin from Boston Gets Vaccinated
Samuel Adams

As a Massachusetts native, I’m a big fan of Sam Adams’ hilarious “your cousin from Boston” character. I was thrilled to see the beverage brand join the ranks of companies encouraging folks to get vaccinated last April and loved that they did it with their trademark Bostonian humor (“I’m double paahked!”). It made an important, serious topic feel like a breeze.