Benenden Health Teams up with Channel 4 to Encourage Brits to Check-In on Their Health

Channel 4 today reveals Time For A Check-in, an exclusive creative partnership with not-for-profit Yorkshire-based healthcare provider Benenden Health and MediaCom North to encourage the nation to talk more openly about their health. 

Channel 4 talent including AJ Odudu, Davina McCall, Roman Kemp, Judi Love, Alex Brooker and Rylan Clarke will star in a 10-month, multiplatform creative campaign which launches on Tuesday 27th September with a TV ad during the much-anticipated return of The Great British Bake Off. 

The creative campaign marks the first TV partnership for Benenden Health which kicks off with AJ Odudu cycling through a British town asking the public about their various ailments – from bunions to brain fog! 

A series of intimate TV ads will follow, featuring pairs of Channel 4 talent discussing their health in frank conversations, starting with Davina McCall and Roman Kemp chatting about their mental health. Running alongside these, AJ Odudu and Alex Brooker will also feature in 10 second pieces to camera, encouraging the nation to engage in conversations about their health. 

In the new year the partnership continues on social with a fun vox-pop style 4Studio series where AJ Odudu will take to the streets and quiz the UK on their general health, helping passers-by with those aches and pains they haven’t had a chance to get checked out. 

Off-screen, the partnership continues as part of 4Talks, the thought leadership platform from Channel 4’s advertising team, 4Sales, that aims to explore and discuss challenging and thought-provoking subjects across ad-land. Hosted by AJ Odudu, three short videos will be produced in association with Benenden Health to discuss physical health, mental health and menopause.  

The creative partnership was brought to life by the Nations and Regions sales team together with MediaCom North, and further developed by the 4Sales Creative Hub alongside Bullion Productions who produced the TV ad and social assets. 

Ewan Douglas, head of sales and commercial development, Channel 4 said: “This creative partnership with Benenden Health is a great example of how brand campaigns can work across multiple touch points within the 4Sales portfolio to increase brand awareness and reach key audiences wherever they’re watching content. 

“Developed by our Manchester sales team, with MediaCom North and Yorkshire-based Benenden Health, it’s a true Nations & Regions success story.

“We hope our audiences enjoy seeing some of our much-loved talent talk openly and honestly about their health and encourage more people to do the same to breakdown unnecessary stigmas around important health issues.”

Natalie Walker, head of marketing, Benenden Health said: "We're so proud to be partnering with Channel 4 on what is an exciting initiative to encourage the nation to check in on their health. We’re a healthcare provider that offers something unique, the same affordable healthcare for everyone, and Channel 4’s commitment to diversity and doing things differently make it the perfect media partner for us. We can’t wait to see where the partnership takes the Benenden Health brand, meet the new audiences that will hear our message and, most importantly, see the nation get inspired by the fantastic Channel 4 talent talking about and checking-in with their health.” 

Helen Whitley, client service director, MediaCom Leeds said: "We’re thrilled to be on this exciting journey with our client Benenden Health. Having worked with Benenden Health for 14 years, it’s been incredible to see them evolve from a traditionally response-led brand to partnering with Channel 4 on a multi-channel, talent-lead health and wellbeing partnership.

“When we began thinking about the campaign, Benenden Health were already well known amongst their core older audience, but we wanted to grow this even further and let the whole nation know that private healthcare really can be accessible and affordable. 

Working alongside AJ Odudu has allowed us to lean on classic ‘British’ humour to really grab attention and create a purposeful campaign that encourages people to be more proactive about checking in on their physical and mental wellbeing – no matter how trivial it may seem!"