Skip to main content

How a New Ad Campaign Salutes Health System's Workforce

Sutter Health and ad agency Barrett launch the 'Never-Ending Ad Campaign,' spotlighting real nurses, doctors and staff in one-take TV commercials.

by Sutter Health

(Pictured above is Williamson Roasa, RN)

Sutter Health showcases its workers as the stars in “Never-Ending Ad Campaign”

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — It’s been a challenging time in healthcare. So when Sutter Health and its ad agency, Barrett, began planning its fall 2022 advertising campaign, they decided to highlight the system’s high-quality personal care and salute the hardworking employees and physicians who provide that care. And who best to share their commitment and pride than the doctors, nurses, and other employees themselves?

“The people who can tell Sutter Health’s story the best are our own people,” says Jim Macksood, Sutter’s vice president of marketing. “They have an innate sense of commitment and compassion toward the people we serve, and they take such pride in the work we do.”

Advertising agency Barrett has created the “Never-Ending Ad Campaign,” a new marketing campaign for Sutter Health, a not-for-profit integrated healthcare system serving more than 3 million patients across Northern California.

The work will launch on September 28th and run on broadcast, streaming VOD (Hulu, CBS, FLX, NBC), streaming audio, terrestrial radio, social (Facebook, Instagram), and OOH. The TV will focus on Sports, Primetime, and News stations in Northern California.

Barrett employs ‘Goodfellas-style’ one-take cinematography in the spots (link to spot) which include one long-form ad, three :30, and six :15 executions, show some of the breadth of Sutter’s healthcare services and hint at the real, human stories that happen within their facilities every day by featuring actual Sutter employees and affiliated doctors along with professional actors.

The spots end with the campaign line “It’s a thousand things, big and small”.

Read more about the new ad campaign.

Aisha Amin, MD
Aisha Amin, MD

“The ‘Never-Ending’ segment is an homage to Sutter’s relentless commitment to providing the best patient care, in ways big and small, every day,” says Jamie Barrett, chief creative director at Barrett.

Set in a hospital hallway, the creative was designed to feel like one continuous take. As it begins, the camera is tracking a doctor who’s explaining that Sutter is the recipient of 21 awards from the American Heart Association, then switches to a nurse the doctor passes, who holds up a drawing to show that the hospital receives high marks “from our best patients, too.”

Jesse Young, EVS, Alta Bates Summit Medical Center
Jesse Young, Environmental Services

Some stories featured were inspired by real-life patient experiences: Two men talking about their new hearts were based on real patients who became friends while waiting for heart transplants. A neonatal intensive care unit scene was inspired by the true stories of preemies born up to 16 weeks early who are now kids. A mammogram technologist’s family history with breast cancer inspired her to enter the medical field. All doctors, nurses and staff with speaking roles are actual Sutter employees.

The spots were directed by Emmy-winning and Grammy-nominated director Jake Scott and are accompanied by the original song “We Got Us” from Bay Area band Geographer.

Check your Vitals

Get the latest in health innovation, community impact and patient care from Sutter Health — delivered straight to your inbox.

You're leaving our site

The website you have selected is an external one located on another server. This website may contain links to third party sites. These links are provided for convenience purposes and are not under the control of Sutter Health. Do you wish to continue?