JWT New York celebrates the first birth of 2016 at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in Queens with its “Happy Birthday Austin Joseph” for Northwell Health, its first brand campaign in five years and largest-ever marketing push.
The agency had film crews ready to capture the first birth of the year on New Year’s Eve, and Austin Joseph was the first to emerge, a mere 36 seconds after the ball dropped. JWT New York welcomes Austin Joseph to the world on behalf of Northwell Health, before going on to celebrate the health system’s recent rebranding from North Shore-LIJ Health System. The ad goes on to claim that Northwell Health sees not just a newborn baby in Austin but “a person we’ll be keeping healthy his whole life.” The spot will run on broadcast in the New York area, including on stations WABC, WNBC, WCBS and WPIX, supported by a print ad running in publications including The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times.
“The birth of a new healthcare system dedicated to a new standard in care deserves more than just another hospital commercial. It’s not just advertising; it’s news,” JWT New York executive creative director Eric Weisberg told Adweek. “Across all media channels, ‘Look North’ challenges people to discover the unique breakthroughs in care happening throughout Northwell Health, and it would not have been possible without the unprecedented collaboration, partnership and vision of the Northwell teams.”
Calling such an approach “wildly unique” may be a bit generous. While releasing the spot so quickly following Austin’s birth is certainly an accomplishment, filming the first birth of the year isn’t exactly an original idea. You don’t need to look any further back than Weber Shandwick’s “Wishes for Baby” on behalf of Fisher Price to see another take on the basic idea, in this case documenting eight newborns around the world.