Healthcare Marketing Impact Awards - 2024

Campaign: Late
Agency/Firm: Alma DDB
Client: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center’s campaign “Late,” which won gold among providers and insurers for Film/TV/Video Campaign of the Year, sought to convey the urgency of preventive screenings and reach communities who are less likely to access those services.

The New York City-based cancer treatment and research institution launched a campaign, which ran between February and April, looking to connect with Hispanic communities across the country. Cancer is the leading cause of death among Hispanic and Latino people, with barriers to care like language and education hindering people from accessing care, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In collaboration with the advertising agency Alma DDB, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center released its short-film campaign to increase awareness of the repercussions from delaying preventive screenings and galvanize members of the community to get checked.

The bilingual campaign, which was released at Hispanic film festivals in major cities including Chicago, Dallas, Miami and San Diego, weaves a love story punctuated by moments of tardiness to classes, dates and concerts — and eventually, the protagonist’s preventive screenings.

The campaign exceeded its marketing goals, racking up 28.7 million impressions divided between television ads, social media and other out-of-home venues, according to the agency. It also resulted in more than 250 people engaging with the “Get Screened” link connecting them with the American Cancer Society.