Friends, Family and Strangers Unite in Plea to Get Germ-infested New Yorkers to a CityMD

CityMD, the New York metro area’s largest urgent care provider, is on a mission to change the dynamics of the broken health care industry.

Inspired by a statistic that 90 percent of millennials aren’t going to the doctor, but rather, are walking around sick trying to self-diagnose, CityMD is launching 'You Need Some CityMD'.

The campaign, created by indie agency Terri & Sandy, features pleas to sick individuals from their family, friends and loved ones to go to CityMD so they can feel better, as well as avoid breeding illness.

The campaign touts CityMD as the antidote to the broken medical system, offering fast access to high-quality medical professionals, fast referrals to excellent specialists and kinder treatment along the way.

“You Need Some CityMD” kicked off November 5th - during the heart of flu season - with a 30-second television spot called 'People Who Know Meredith Carlson'. It showcases Meredith’s extended 'family', complete with her roommate, ride-share driver and last online date, urging her to go CityMD to care for her cough, which they fear could be contagious. The pleas continue in a series of witty 15-second spots running on TV, social and paid digital video. The long-form version, a 60-second spot which includes a plea from Meredith’s dog, will be posted online across CityMD’s social channels.

In addition, a series of transit posters will hit NYC subways and the Long Island Railroad - two breeding grounds for germs - on December 1st. The OOH showcases pleas, in the form of bold, graphic letters, to a multitude of sick or injured individuals, directing them to the nearest CityMD to tend to their ailments.Consumers are also invited to submit their own sick-person pleas via the brand’s Twitter account.

While humour certainly prevails as the tone for the campaign, the current state of health care is no laughing matter. A recent Morning Consult study showed over 56 percent of Americans feel the health care system does not work for them. In addition, 9 out of 10 millennials are avoiding going to the doctor because they feel it’s easier to self-diagnose and treat rather than wait to gain access to a doctor, according to a study from Zocdoc.

“At CityMD we believe that everyone should have access to quality, convenient medical care," said Julie Kang, SVP of Sales and Marketing at CityMD. "CityMD works for the patient to serve them kinder, faster and with the most affordable options that meet the changing needs of today's busy consumers."

Sandy Greenberg, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Terri & Sandy adds: “We decided to put a humorous twist on a serious situation. People aren’t getting the medical attention they need because the system is broken. And that’s affecting not just sick individuals but everyone who cares about them.” 

This is CityMD’s first fully integrated campaign. Terri & Sandy was named lead strategic creative agency for CityMD this past summer following a competitive review for the business. Prior creative campaign development was handled in-house.