Lilly strives to put health above all in everything they do so when they made a breakthrough

obesity medicine, Lilly wanted to have a point of view on the use of these medicines.

Culture had hijacked the conversation around these medicines to be about vanity and cosmetic

weight loss, but Lilly is fundamentally against their medicine being used for anything other than

health.

The brief we wrote was clear: Use a major cultural moment to reframe the conversation around

obesity medicines to be about health and the people who really need them.

The creative idea was simple, yet provocative:

Make it known that obesity medicines are not for a big night like the Oscars, they are for people

who need them for health.

Tell people not to take Lilly’s medicine if they haven’t been prescribed them to treat a disease.

A simple message, these medicines are not for the red carpet, said in a provocative time, the red

carpet.

Jimmy Kimmel’s 2023 Oscar joke, "When I look around at this room I can't help but wonder, 'Is Ozempic right for me?'", ignited the cultural conversation around the misuse of obesity medications. Since then, jokes and misuse have become more commonplace.

We realized that saying something counterintuitive in a moment where everyone was doing the opposite had the power to create huge earned media.

The message was rooted in a truth about Lilly - medicine should go to those who need it most. Showing patients we had their backs, and reminding society of the importance of putting health first.

The message spoke for itself. We launched the film during the E! Red Carpet show, ran print in People Magazine’s Oscar edition, took over OOH boards in NYC the week of the Oscars and surrounded paid efforts with a targeted earned media strategy that was designed to maximize reach and impact.

For the week of the Oscars, our message was brought to life through linear and digital film, print,

OOH placements and strategic earned media engagement. We made a statement in premium film

buys specifically with the film launching during E!’s Red Carpet coverage, disrupted Oscars

content like best dressed lists through print placements in People Magazine’s Oscar edition, and

reinforced our POV the day after the Oscars with OOH on street levels at morning rush hour in

NYC and high impact placements. In parallel, we strategically pitched CNN and USA Today under

embargo to extend our reach ahead of the film launch.

“Big Night” was powerful because it called out society’s misuse of obesity medicines. The

campaign was organically covered by all four major network morning shows. It was reported on

by USA Today, CNN, People.com and more. It resulted in 2.1B earned media impressions with a

positive net sentiment of +20.

“Big Night” was part of a larger campaign for Lilly that increased brand awareness +32.8% and

brand trust +36%. The work helped cement Lilly as a company who puts people’s health first.

As quoted by CNN’s medical correspondent, “This is a different kind of ad campaign. We’re

actually hearing from a drug company saying you shouldn’t be taking these medications. We’ve

never heard this before.”