Novartis: Your Attention, Please
Novartis challenged Merkley + Partners to address the significant gap in annual breast cancer screenings among women over 40. The goal was to create a high - impact, unbranded awareness campaign for Super Bowl LIX that would resonate with a broad female demographic, moving beyond traditional clinical messaging to drive website visits and prioritize early detection as a survival necessity.
Creative Idea
Used a provocative montage of cultural breast objectification to reveal the irony of medical neglect.
By juxtaposing the hyper-sexualized cultural obsession with breasts against the neglect of breast health, Novartis used a provocative bait - and - switch montage to shock women into prioritizing life - saving screenings during the most - watched television event of the year.
Turning The Male Gaze Into A Medical Checkup
A First For Pharma At The Big Game
Novartis made history as the first pharmaceutical company to secure the top spot in the Kellogg School Super Bowl Advertising Review. Directed by MJ Delaney (*Ted Lasso*), the production avoided the somber, clinical tropes of the category. Instead, it utilized a "bait - and - switch" strategy, opening with a montage of breasts in fashion and art to mirror cultural objectification before pivoting to the reality that 50% of women skip annual screenings. This bold creative choice reached 47.2 million women and drove over 1 million visits to the campaign website within months.
Bridging The Generational Screening Gap
The talent selection was a data - driven effort to reach women of all ages. By pairing Wanda Sykes, a breast cancer survivor representing the voice of experience, with Hailee Steinfeld, the brand targeted Gen Z and Millennial women who are seeing rising rates of early - onset breast cancer. While the ad was strictly unbranded to bypass "Big Pharma" skepticism, the halo effect was significant. Novartis reported that its breast cancer medication, Kisqali, saw a 49% growth during the 2024/2025 period as the brand solidified its leadership in oncology.
From Provocative Teasers To NFL Partnerships
The campaign's cultural impact extended far beyond the broadcast. Early teasers were so provocative that industry insiders feared they might be flagged as NSFW for a family audience. However, the "overwhelmingly favorable" sentiment led to a multi - year partnership with the NFL to bolster the league's "Crucial Catch" initiative. As Novartis CMO Gail Horwood noted, the goal was to move beyond product benefits and use authentic storytellers to address a diagnosis gap where early detection leads to a 99% survival rate.
Creative Strategy Deconstructed
Company
Novartis leveraged its oncology leadership and Super Bowl budget to launch a high - impact, unbranded public health initiative.
Category
Pharmaceutical ads usually rely on clinical imagery, somber tones, or specific product benefits that consumers often tune out.
Customer
Women feel overwhelmed by health advice but are constantly bombarded with cultural messages about breast aesthetics and objectification.
Culture
The Super Bowl provides a massive, diverse audience where the contrast between entertainment and health reality is most jarring.
Company
Novartis leveraged its oncology leadership and Super Bowl budget to launch a high - impact, unbranded public health initiative.
Category
Pharmaceutical ads usually rely on clinical imagery, somber tones, or specific product benefits that consumers often tune out.
Strategy:
Expose the hypocrisy of cultural objectification to redirect superficial attention toward critical, life - saving preventative health behaviors.
Customer
Women feel overwhelmed by health advice but are constantly bombarded with cultural messages about breast aesthetics and objectification.
Culture
The Super Bowl provides a massive, diverse audience where the contrast between entertainment and health reality is most jarring.
Strategy:
Expose the hypocrisy of cultural objectification to redirect superficial attention toward critical, life - saving preventative health behaviors.
Strategy Technique
Attack a Cultural Blind Spot
The campaign exposes the irony that while society constantly gazes at breasts, it fails to look at them for health reasons, forcing a shift from objectification to self - preservation.
Explore Technique
Creative Technique
Compare & Contrast
It contrasts the high - energy, public attention breasts receive in pop culture with the private, often - ignored reality of medical screenings, highlighting a dangerous gap in care.
Explore Technique
Craft Breakdown
The ad's power lies in its jarring juxtaposition of hyper-sexualized media tropes against the grim reality of health neglect, using editing to build tension before a sharp pivot.
The rapid-fire montage perfectly captures the 'male gaze' and media saturation before the sudden silence creates a powerful emotional vacuum.
The central hook—'So much attention, yet so ignored'—is a brilliant subversion of the visual content that reframes the entire narrative.
“The synergy between the frantic pop music and the aggressive visual cuts makes the eventual silence and text-heavy reveal feel like a physical jolt to the viewer.”
