Health campaign Archives - MARKETECH APAC

Singapore – The Health Promotion Board (HPB), in collaboration with Publicis Singapore, has unveiled its latest integrated campaign, “For the Love of Taste,” encouraging Singapore residents to reduce their sodium intake to preserve their sense of taste and fully enjoy the natural flavours of their food.

The campaign is part of HPB’s nationwide #LessSaltMoreTaste movement, which promotes reducing salt consumption to help Singapore residents lower their sodium intake and improve their overall health.

At the heart of the campaign is ‘The Art of Taste’, an experiential installation developed by TMRRW, a Singapore-based art and motion studio. This interactive generative art project—HPB’s first of its kind—invites the public to transform iconic local dishes into vibrant visual masterpieces. Using cutting-edge generative technology, the installation vividly represents the explosion of natural flavours that can be savoured more fully when not overshadowed by excessive salt.

The installation is at Dhoby Ghaut MRT station B2 Concourse, which is now running until 5th December.

Supporting the campaign is a cinematic film by acclaimed director Royston Tan. Set in the 1960s and starring Pierre Png, the story depicts a strained dinner between a man and his wife, with salt symbolising the barrier between them. When the man puts down the salt shaker, he rekindles his connection with the meal—and with his wife.

With Wong Kar Wai-inspired visuals and a captivating rendition of the local song ‘Singapura Permai’, the film has resonated with audiences, amassing millions of views since its launch.

Beyond the installation and film, the #LessSaltMoreTaste message is also spread through social media, online banners, and public spaces. Each piece of the campaign highlights Singapore’s rich culinary heritage, celebrating natural flavours at the heart of local dishes.

“Using generative technology to explore what once seemed impossible has unlocked new, impactful ways to connect with consumers. By showing, rather than telling, that less salt doesn’t mean less flavour, we’re inspiring people to discover a new appreciation for the richness of natural flavours, which often go unnoticed,” said Pei Ling Ho, executive creative director at Publicis Singapore.

‘For the Love of Taste’ builds on the success of HPB’s previous ‘Trust No Tongue’ campaign, further emphasising practical steps to reduce sodium intake in daily life. The initiative encourages using less salt, sauces, and gravy, choosing lower-sodium products, and making healthier dining choices.

After all, the love of taste is timeless—and with a few small changes, we can keep that love alive for years to come.

Singapore – At a global scale, viral hepatitis has become a global healthcare nightmare: the second leading infectious cause of death globally, infecting more than 320 million, and taking the lives of 1.3 million annually. The WHO has sounded the alarm on the crisis, reporting that deaths continue to rise despite testing and treatment being made more accessible.

While hepatitis testing globally is already a thing, recent data also shows that 9 in 10 of some global markets believe that people “reap what they sow” and deserve hepatitis as a result of their high-risk behaviours such as promiscuity and drug use. These societal attitudes and taboos not only discourage individuals from seeking testing but also perpetuate a harmful culture of silence and blame surrounding the disease.

Given this status quo on hepatitis testing, global healthcare company Roche Diagnostics has launched a regional campaign titled ‘Everyone Deserves to Get Tested’ which aims to change this narrative. The campaign, done alongside Edelman, also aims to encourage people to not let silence come in the way of getting screened–and that the reality is anybody can get hepatitis, but nobody deserves it.

To better understand the company’s approach to this campaign, we recently spoke with Amy Ho, head of disease areas at Roche Diagnostics Asia Pacific to better understand the company’s driving force for this campaign, and why advocacy matters for brands like them to solve the world’s most pressing health issues.

Dispelling society stereotypes on hepatitis

For Amy, she notes that the uncomfortable truth about hepatitis is that, in many societies, it is stigmatised due to its perceived causes – high-risk behaviours such as promiscuity and drug use. This has its roots in historical healthcare campaigns highlighting these “unhelpful” stereotypes.

“These stereotypes, compounded by societal pressure to be a model citizen, have resulted in many remaining silent about hepatitis, contributing to 4.5 million preventable deaths each year,” she explained.

Moreover, she also notes that societal attitudes and taboos not only discourage individuals from seeking testing, but also perpetuate a harmful culture of silence and blame surrounding the disease.

“Many people are reluctant to get screened for the fear of being labeled as someone ‘who deserves it’. Roche Diagnostic’s ‘Everyone Deserves to Get Tested’ campaign aims to change this narrative. The reality is anybody can get hepatitis, but nobody deserves it. We believe everyone deserves to get tested.

It is also worth noting that many of hepatitis cases in the world are concentrated in Asia-Pacific, with about 94.6 million infected individual. Moreover, viral hepatitis, particularly Hepatitis B (HBV) and Hepatitis C (HCV), remains the primary cause of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and APAC contributes 80% of all HCC cases globally.

Despite all of this, testing remains a grey area for many in APAC, with a study conduced by Roche alongside GWI notes that over 50% of the population have a basic awareness of hepatitis, but over 30% have not tested, not planning on booking a test and/or unsure. Moreover over 1 in 2 presume nothing is wrong and do not undergo testing, and that 58% of respondents believe people with a history of IV drug use, high-risk sexual behaviours and needle usage from tattoos – deserve hepatitis.

Hence, Amy notes that it is thus of critical importance to identify, diagnose and treat patients at the early stage possible to prevent disease progression.

“The need for action is more urgent than ever and diagnosing viral hepatitis is a critical first step in limiting the harmful impact of the disease. Increased testing can significantly bring the world closer to achieving the World Health Organisation’s Hepatitis Elimination goal by 2030,” she says.

Amy added, “By shining a light on the disease, we can move closer to achieving the 2030 hepatitis elimination goals and achieve better patient outcomes by eliminating social and systemic barriers to care, tackling key unmet needs along the liver patient journey, and developing integrated solutions and partnerships with key stakeholders.”

“Advocacy is movement-driven”

One of the things that Amy highlighted is that advocacy is movement-driven, meaning making waves in perception, giving voice to issues that need speaking about, and creating actionable change.

“Likewise, ‘Everyone Deserves to Get Tested’ pushes beyond awareness with its call to action framed within the campaign title itself,” she says.

She added, “With diseases such as Hepatitis, the barriers are manifold. This campaign goes far beyond awareness, breaking deep-seated stigmas, shifting perception and instigating action to get tested.”

For this specific campaign, Amy says that they launched it regionally, and are also following up with targeted versions of the campaign for local rollout, with a specific focus on low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) that have a higher incidence rate and disease burden of hepatitis.

“With these in-market rollouts, we will partner with local organisations to ensure that the campaign reaches its maximum effectiveness in terms of reach, awareness and messaging that converts into longer-term action, with these local partners ensuring that action can take shape and root in each specific local landscape,” she added.

What’s next for Roche’s advocacy-driven campaigns

The global healthcare company is no stranger to these types of campaigns, evident in their ongoing ‘#FreedomtoBe; campaign for women’s health. In this initiative, Roche aimed to inspire and empower women to take care of their health with tangible steps such as getting checked related to cervical cancer.

Amy notes that any of their campaigns, including this one, is centred on awareness and advocacy–but it is just one part of our multi-sectoral strategy to increase healthcare access to patients. Moreover, this campaign is also backed by collaborative efforts from various stakeholders, including policy stakeholders, patient advocacy groups, clinicians, and laboratories to shape practices.

“Diagnostics form the foundation of healthcare; you can’t know how to treat an illness until and unless you know what it is. And it’s not just about identifying a disease, it is also about preventing it from worsening or, more importantly, detecting it before it manifests. Having efficient and effective diagnostics not only supports patients and governments in saving lives but also reduces healthcare expenditure by intervening at crucial junctures, preventing global healthcare crises and stopping millions of preventable deaths right in their tracks,” she explains.

She also highlights that given how the healthcare ecosystem is a complex web, they need to ensure that life-changing innovation reaches those who need it, and that they need a multi-faceted approach to ensure that those in need are impacted directly by their advocacies.

“This campaign is part of Roche Diagnostic’s long-term commitment to drive meaningful change in various ways, from raising awareness to forming partnerships, and channelling action. In that same vein, many of our campaigns wear multiple hats, from being awareness and advocacy-centric to action-oriented,” she concluded.

Manila, Philippines – Global pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim Philippines, alongside the Philippine Alliance of Patient Organizations (PAPO), Dialysis PH, and Kidney Transplant Association of the Philippines, Inc. (KITAP), marked National Kidney Month with a crucial initiative ‘It Starts with U: Get CheCKD’ through an outdoor activation that highlights the impact of lifestyle choices on kidney health.

To give the public a holistic health education experience, Boehringer prepared four Zones – ‘Check Your Choices’ game room, ‘Movement CheCKD’, ‘Health CheCKD’ and ‘Nutrition CheCKD’.

‘Check Your Choices’ challenged the participants to revisit their lifestyle choices for a healthier life. It featured eight rooms inspired by the 8 Golden Rules of Kidney Health. Meanwhile, the ‘Movement CheCKD’ had an all-day Zumba session with low to high-intensity routines for people of all ages. For quick snacks and refreshments, visitors enjoyed their healthy treats at ‘Nutrition CheCKD’. Lastly, the ‘Health CheCKD’ zone offered free one-on-one consultations with doctors. Once determined to be at risk for CKD, patients were referred to the CKD Screening booth for the blood and urine tests.

For the company, the ‘It Starts with U: Get CheCKD’ initiative underscored the commitment to raise awareness and empower Filipinos in managing their kidney health, ensuring a healthier future for all.

The initiative was launched during an event on June 29, 2024, at Glorietta Activity Center in Makati City. It brought together experts and health leaders, including Dr. Rose Marie Rosete-Liquete, Executive Director, National Kidney and Transplant Institute and Dr. Maaliddin B. Biruar, Nephrologist. They emphasised the importance of early detection through regular screenings and lifestyle adjustments to combat CKD effectively.

Boehringer also launched their ‘It Starts With You’ educational website, providing accessible information on CKD management and patient stories.

Singapore – Friso, a nutrition formula milk brand under FrieslandCampina, has launched the latest iteration of its ‘#MovetoGoodPoop’ campaign, aimed at promoting gut health in children through music and movement. This campaign introduces a new song and dance to encourage kids and parents alike to stay active for better digestive health.

This marks the fifth edition of Friso’s “Good Poop Matters, Baby!” national campaign, which emphasises the importance of a well-balanced diet, exercise, and sufficient rest in achieving good gut health for children. With sedentary lifestyles becoming increasingly common among young children, Friso is focusing on raising awareness about the role of regular exercise in maintaining a healthy digestive system for little ones.

For this campaign, the Friso Good Poop Advisory Panel also returns this year with a focus on the connection between movement and gut health in young children. This year’s panel includes registered dietitian Sherllie Kartika, preschool sports enrichment provider Tiny Mountains co-founders Titus Ting and Theophilus Lim, and Friso’s latest brand ambassador, local singer-songwriter Derrick Hoh.

Moreover, to highlight the connection between movement and gut health, Friso has partnered with preschool multi-sports enrichment provider, Tiny Mountains, to create a song titled ‘Good Poop Matters’. The catchy tune, complemented with simple and fun dance moves, educates young children about the digestion journey in a simple and playful way. Parents and children can sing and move along, learning about gut health in a fun, engaging manner.

Carmen Lim, brand and digital manager at Friso Singapore, said, “Friso firmly believes in the importance of a natural approach to good digestion for young children. Nurturing happy, healthy kids extends beyond nutrition; it encompasses quality sleep, movement, and a balanced diet. As a brand, we’re committed to empowering parents with the knowledge and resources they need to raise resilient and thriving children, ensuring they have the best start in life.”

Hong Kong – Hong Kong-headquartered life insurance PrudentialAsia has tapped the talents of Korean boy band SuperM in its new marketing campaign to encourage people across Asia to be healthy while maintaining fun.

Formed in 2019 by Korean entertainment group SM Entertainment and records company Capitol Music Group, SuperM is composed of seven members, coming from other groups such as NCT 127 and EXO.

The campaign, called ‘We DO Well Together’, will center around collaboration of Prudential and SuperM in a series of events to motivate people to lead healthier lives and achieve better wellness.

“Prudential and SuperM share a common goal. We want to promote the importance of staying fit and healthy, especially during these times. Together, we want to motivate people to attain wellness in a positive, proactive, and fun way,” said Nic Nicandrou, chief executive of Prudential Asia.

He added, “Prudential goes beyond the provision of protection to offer holistic health and wellness services, helping people prevent and postpone the onset of diseases. We do this through our all-in-one health app Pulse by Prudential, and a comprehensive range of best-in-class solutions and services to help people live well, for longer. This latest campaign focused on health and wellness reflects our continued commitment to putting our customers at the heart of our business.”

Meanwhile, SuperM released a statement, stating that “As the world experiences challenging times due to the pandemic, it is our ambition to spread positive energy and help as many people as possible to achieve not just good physical health, but mental wellbeing as well. We share a common mission with Prudential to help improve people’s wellness and drive optimism in good and bad times. Through ‘We DO Well Together’, we call on everybody to put in the same energy and spirit as ‘We DO’ to achieve our life goals together.”