Toronto strategy and creative agency Giants & Gentlemen has launched a new video campaign for weight-loss firm Dr. Bernstein.
This is G&G’s first full campaign for Dr. Bernstein after beginning work with them in the fall. With the tagline, “Been there. Done that? Time for something that works,” the campaign launched May 4 is aimed at those who have tried several diet fads without success. The video, which will be seen on TV, online, pre-roll and OOH, pokes fun at several dieting trends, from green smoothies to ’80s aerobics. Media planning and buying was handled by Media Experts.
Tasked with developing a campaign that highlighted Dr. Bernstein’s edge over other diets — it is medically supervised — G&G did research that revealed people are frustrated after trying many different ways to lose weight.
“We did a ton of research, reviewed social media, did a competitive review, stakeholder interviews and used a strategist that had done the diet twice,” says Gino Cantalini, co-founder and chief strategy officer at G&G. “This gave us a very good perspective on the environment and the challenge. It also uncovered that typically clients were coming to Dr. Bernstein once they were frustrated by other diets that were unsuccessful for them. Now they were ready to get serious and get it done.”
The agency also worked with a cardiologist who specializes in helping patients quit smoking to broaden the ad team’s perspective on the campaign.
“G&G uses Outthinking (a process we developed) to look at the same problem from a different lens,” says Cantalini “It gives us another perspective that could help us either strategically or creatively. We typically find another industry facing a similar challenge to the one at hand or where we can gain more insight into our target consumer.”
In this case the agency worked with a a smoking cessation expert at St. Mike’s Hospital in Toronto, who offered insight into the struggles and all the solutions that friends offer those trying to quit smoking. “His [point of view] was that you need to be mentally ready, and professional support helps ensure commitment,” says Cantalini.
