Best Service-Line Campaign: Large Hospital, Gold Award

“Hey, it’s me, your heart. We gotta talk. ‘Cause I don’t like the way you’re treating me,” he says in one TV ad. “We don’t go for walks anymore; we don’t go to the gym. And what’s with the diet?”

One of the busiest cardiac care facilities in North Carolina, WakeMed offers education, prevention, diagnosis, intervention, surgery, cardiac rehab, and physicians’ offices all under one roof. There is even a first-class hotel on the top floor.

In 2006, WakeMed performed 25,106 cardiac procedures. The “Listen to Your Heart” television and radio campaign for WakeMed Heart Center was designed to build brand awareness and preference, drive consumers to the heart center’s Web site, and educate consumers about steps they can take to prevent heart disease without resorting to scare tactics.

The marketing team at WakeMed also wanted to create a proprietary icon that consumers would quickly associate with the WakeMed Heart Center. It came up with the animated heart character, drawn in a style that’s reminiscent of a New Yorker cartoon. This character talks frankly and directly to the viewer from the point of view of the viewer’s own heart.

According to our judges, the team hit a home run there. “There’s just something about that heart character that’s appealing. I think a lot of people are going to notice and remember those spots,” one of our judges said. “The ‘listen to your heart’ has been used before, but this campaign uses it in a fresh way.”

“I liked that they took a risk and used humor to promote a very serious service,” another said. “I’d caution hospitals not to use that kind of tactic without a great deal of thought, but in this case, it definitely works.”

Even on radio, the character’s personality comes through. “It’s me, your heart,” he says in one spot. “And as the chief operating officer of your circulatory system, I don’t want just anyone evaluating my job performance, thank you very much. I want experts. Pioneers. The best minds and biggest hearts in cardiac care. I want breakthrough procedures, clinical trials, excellent outcomes. We’re talking WakeMed Heart Center, here.”