Why Oura Gave the Finger to Conventional Health Messaging

Oura’s recent ‘Give Us the Finger’ campaign marked a new chapter in how the wearable tech brand has evolved in not just what it offers, but what it stands for.

The brand began life with a strong foundation in sleep tracking, but over the last few years the product has grown into something much more comprehensive. Today, Oura supports holistic health across the full spectrum: from menstrual cycle insights and stress monitoring to cardiovascular and metabolic health.

As the product has expanded, so too has the brand’s perspective, says CMO Doug Sweeny in conversation with LBB. “Give Us the Finger is about embracing that broader view of health – not just what you can measure in the moment, but how those insights compound over time. In a world that often glorifies youth and short-term gains, we wanted to celebrate the long game: the idea that ageing in good health is not only possible, but powerful.”

The campaign, created by nice&frank, is an ode to the form factor of the Oura Ring and placement on the index finger – where it captures the most precise and consistent health data – with a delightfully cheeky tagline to boot.

Pat Newman and Rob Stone, creative directors at nice&frank, started the challenge of building this campaign by considering what was ownable about the brand and product. Oura is one of the world’s only health wearables worn on a finger - and that naturally stood out to them. “We thought it’d be compelling to ‘own’ the finger,” says Pat. “It felt fresh. Not many brands have tried to ‘claim’ a body part before.”

That creative clarity became even more apparent when they landed on the campaign’s tagline, which had “obvious” breakthrough potential due to its provocative nature and simplicity. “If you care enough to grow old, ‘Give Us the Finger’. Whoever you are and wherever you live, that’s a sentiment that should grab your attention,” says Pat.

“‘Give Us the Finger’ immediately caught our attention,” adds Doug, noting that it was bolder and more provocative than anything the brand had ever done before. “We weren’t sure how it would land with everyone, and that hesitation was actually part of what made it interesting.”

On top of being cheeky, the line also has meaning. It of course nods to Oura’s form factor but, more importantly for Doug, it invites people to take control of their health. “There’s rebellion in it - not against health itself, but against outdated ideas of what health should look like. That tension was compelling.”

The campaign’s anchor is a central film directed by Love Song's Walid Labri. It captures moments of focus and triumph from a diverse cast of real people not often seen in health tech ads. Such as George Papoutsis, a streetball trick shot artist dominating courts in New York City, and Mónica Romero and Omar Ocampo, world-renowned Argentine tango dancers who met in Buenos Aires over 40 years ago.

Those casting decisions were extremely intentional. “We’re moving away from featuring only the traditional view of what wellness looks like: young, healthy, athletic,” says Doug. “We weren’t looking for polished actors - we were looking for a diverse group of real people with real stories.”

With the help of casting partners and Walid, the team found individuals who they felt truly embodied the campaign’s core message. “Once we knew we wanted seniors to be the centre of the campaign, it became a quest to cast the most compelling and vivacious characters we could find,” says Rob. “They had to feel like they believably lived in the scenes. The spot is so much more compelling knowing the featured talent are authentically living this life and not just existing in a manufactured ad world.”

The spot depicts ageing with romanticism, captured by Walid in a way that feels particularly modern. Pat says the decision to work with Walid was influenced by his “grounded and stylised work” that “always treats his subjects respectfully and truthfully, but with an elevated point-of-view”.

It was important to all involved that ageing wasn’t portrayed as overly sentimental or something to fear. They wanted to show it as something real, aspirational and lived-in, without slipping into stereotype or idealisation. “Working with nice&frank and Love Song, we spent a lot of time aligning on tone: grounded but elevated, honest but hopeful,” says Doug. “We didn’t want a glossy, idealised version of ageing. We wanted to capture the beauty in everyday moments - focus, movement, stillness, intimacy - things that feel authentic but also powerful.”

To cement this feeling, Walid suggested giving each vignette an implied backstory. For example, in the tango scene, Pat says he came up with the idea that the two dancers were the last ones standing at a party that’s long over, as a way to show how vigorous they still are. “While it’s not explicit,” adds Pat, “the production design gestures at it just enough to give the viewer the impression of a world with greater depth than what’s in frame.”

“Each of these scenes were written around and even named after what character would inhabit it,” adds Rob. “The Grand Master, The Lover, The Tango Dancers. We wanted to find the most refreshing and convincing examples of living legends to make our case for living a longer life. These are people you want to be when you get old, and the message is that you can be.”

The result, hopes Doug, is something that “feels emotionally resonant and refreshingly human - a celebration of longevity that’s grounded in reality and rich with possibility.”

The film was backed up by an activation in New York City, which saw 36 senior citizens ‘giving the finger’ to New Yorkers from the West Village to SoHo and over to DUMBO from a fleet of yellow taxis. The activation also tied into a larger takeover of more than 7,000 NYC cabs.

“Our goal for the ‘Give NYC the Finger’ activation was to bring this celebration of longevity to life in a way New Yorkers could feel for themselves,” says Sarah Sweeney, lead experience designer at nice&frank. “Enter a motorcade of yellow taxis, each one driven by a real NYC cabbie and carrying real senior New Yorkers - all proudly flipping off the city with their Oura-ring-clad index fingers.”

Sarah and the team cast real locals, with “real attitude” and took to real streets, where, she says, the reactions were “instant, electric, and unmistakably” New York.

“The goal of ‘Give NYC the Finger’,” she adds, “wasn’t to dictate emotion, but to create something that felt intuitive, visceral, and real. It was raw, it was joyful, and it reminded NYC to live a little.”

Oura’s customer base has broadened significantly in recent years. What started as a community of early adopters and wellness enthusiasts has evolved into a much more diverse audience, across age, gender life stage and health goals. The brand observes everyone from young professionals managing stress to women tracking their cycles, to older adults focused on longevity and healthy ageing. What's particularly encouraging, says Doug, is its retention rates, as 88% of users still actively check the app after 12 months, which significantly outperforms “typical” health apps.

This campaign was designed with that evolution in mind and as a clear signal of where the brand is headed. “‘Give Us the Finger’ isn’t just a moment,” says Doug. “It’s the foundation for a longer-term brand evolution.

“This is about shifting from a tool to a companion. From data to meaning. From optimisation to longevity. We're building a brand that resonates more deeply, more emotionally, and more universally. So yes - it’s the start of something bigger.

“It sets the tone for how Oura will show up in the world moving forward: bold, human, and grounded in the belief that great health is built over a lifetime.”