Heart Foundation Launches Provocative Heart Health Awareness Campaign

The Heart Foundation has launched a powerful and provocative campaign via Host/Havas Sydney. The integrated awareness campaign is designed to build on the momentum generated by the ‘Serial Killer’ campaign launched in February with News Corp Australia, which drove the Federal Government to fund a new Medicare item for Heart Health Checks.

The ‘Heartless Words’ campaign is a powerful reminder of what’s at stake when you neglect your heart health and the importance of Heart Health Checks in preventing heart attacks, strokes and deaths.

The emotive creative delivers a heartbreaking message: when we neglect our own hearts, we risk breaking the hearts of those who love us. In communicating that the risks associated with not having a Heart Health Check are not worth taking, the creative drives people to act, if not for themselves, then for the people they most care about.

The Federal Government added Heart Health Checks to the Medicare Benefits Schedule on April 1 in response to the Heart Foundation’s initial awareness campaign, which highlighted heart disease as society’s number one serial killer.

The current national campaign will run for eight weeks and continue in lighter bursts until December. It includes TV, digital and outdoor advertising; promotion on the Heart Foundation website and social media channels; and metropolitan, local and regional press advertorial and editorial features via News Corp Australia’s print and digital assets, including a 20-page Heart Health print edition of Body+Soul.

Says Chris Taylor, chief marketing officer, Heart Foundation: “Our previous ‘Serial Killer’ campaign reminded Australians and our nation’s leaders that heart disease is still our single number one killer. In the first seven days, the campaign achieved tri-partisan support to fund life-saving Heart Health Checks through Medicare, with a new dedicated Medicare item number.”

The ‘Heartless Words’ campaign is aimed at getting Australians to take advantage of the Medicare benefit and see their GP for a Heart Health Check, which could prevent up to 76,500 heart events over the next five years, including heart attacks and strokes, and up to 9,100 deaths.

Says Chris: “When it comes to our health, we often only think about the effect it has on us. By highlighting the effect that neglecting your heart health can have on your loved ones, we hope to convince people to act, if not for themselves, then for those closest to them. We have taken a fearless approach in challenging Australians to think about their hearts. We are encouraging Australians to take one action that will make a significant impact on their own heart and the hearts of those they love.”

The Heart Foundation’s web-based Heart Age Calculator, launched with the Serial Killer campaign, will continue to feature as a strong call to action. So far, a staggering 400,000 Australians have taken the test.

Says Chris: “The team at Host/Havas has shown that they’re the ideal creative partner to help us turn the tide of complacency towards heart disease. Their impressive ability to deliver creatively and strategically while pushing the boundaries and challenging traditional communications will enable us to make a resounding impact on Australia’s heart health. In addition, our partnership with News Corp Australia has helped us reach millions of Australians in every corner of the country, people who are either at risk of heart attack and stroke, or who can help save a loved one by encouraging them to take action.”

Says Jon Austin, executive creative director, Host/Havas: “While working with the Heart Foundation, the agency team decided to go and get their heart health checked. Many of us kept deprioritising it and putting emails and meetings ahead of the 20-minute appointment. This made us realise that we were quite literally choosing work over our hearts and the hearts of those who loved us; that we were voluntarily putting ourselves at risk. The team have done a phenomenal job in creating a powerful reminder of the potential significance of inaction.”

Says Damian Sales, chief operating officer, News Corp Australia: “Heartless Words is a powerful message to convey and, through heart-wrenching and heartwarming storytelling across our multimedia assets, we aim to illustrate the detrimental impact of apathy towards heart health.”

The campaign is part of a holistic Heart Foundation brand push that will roll out in phases in 2019 in collaboration with News Corp Australia and Host/Havas. The aim is to not only improve Australians’ heart health, but to make real, positive change by calling on the nation’s leaders and health decision makers to act on the Heart Foundation’s seven-point advocacy plan.