Deep Health Wellness Clinics:
You Can’t Hide From the Flu. But You Can Beat It.
A Spec Campaign That Proved Red Tape Should Never Trump Great Ideas
A Campaign That Deserved to Run
When Deep Health Wellness Clinics set out to reimagine their annual flu messaging, we saw an opportunity to rewrite the script. Not just for them—but for the healthcare industry as a whole.
“You Can’t Hide From the Flu. But You Can Beat It.” was pitched as a fresh, behavior-first campaign that fused humor, storytelling, and empathy into a disruptive flu awareness platform. It was built to battle stigma with creativity, not clichés. It was crafted to spark smiles and action.
And yet—it never ran.
Why? The usual suspects: internal hesitation, approval delays, concerns over tone. In other words: bureaucracy.
Changing the Narrative: From Panic to Empowerment
Drawing from the same behavior-change methodology that drove success for campaigns like CAN Community Health, we approached flu care with a radically different mindset. Traditional healthcare messaging often defaults to fear—clinical warnings, sterile graphics, and dire consequences. But fear rarely drives sustained behavior change. In fact, it often paralyzes people into inaction. So instead of scaring people into caring, we asked: What if we made flu prevention feel approachable, even empowering?
That’s where the idea of turning the flu into a character was born. We transformed the virus into a mischievous, animated villain—a cartoonish disruptor crashing through everyday life. Not a monster to fear, but a nuisance to outsmart. This creative decision wasn’t just stylistic—it was strategic. Research consistently shows that when people are confronted with visual metaphors that feel exaggerated or humorous, their psychological defenses come down. Animated characters allow viewers—especially families—to engage emotionally without shutting down. The flu became less of a looming threat and more of an obstacle to overcome. And that emotional shift created space for action.
We didn’t shout warnings. We told stories.
Families hiding under blankets. Kids clutching their stuffed animals. Parents eyeing the monster with concern, not terror. These scenarios were designed to reflect how we feel during flu season—but with just enough levity to make the messaging accessible and memorable. This wasn’t just about attention—it was about relatability.
Deep Health Wellness Clinics isn’t just where you go when you’re sick—it’s where you go to feel seen, supported, and in control. By softening the visual tone and sharpening the message, we reframed flu care not as a burden, but as a quick, smart, and empowering step toward wellness.
In the end, it wasn’t about hiding from the flu.
It was about showing people that they could face it—and beat it—with confidence.
Creative That Couldn’t Be Ignored
The campaign was designed to meet people where they are—physically and emotionally.
Billboards and elevator wraps where the flu hides in plain sight
Animated 3-frame digital ads featuring relatable, hiding characters
Social graphics and regional variations tailored for families, parents, and pediatric care
Playful tone with clinical credibility, backed by smart copy and visual storytelling
This wasn’t a sketch. It was production-ready, with multiple versions prepped for rollout across all markets.
3M Wall Wrap Poster Build Outs:
As part of the “You Can’t Hide From the Flu” campaign, this out-of-home execution brings the message to life by transforming a standard billboard into a clever, environmental interaction. By placing wall wraps or vinyl extensions behind and around the billboard, it creates the illusion that people—including those installing the sign—are literally hiding from the flu. It’s an unexpected twist that turns passive advertising into a playful, immersive moment that grabs attention and reinforces the campaign’s core message.
This execution visualizes the futility of avoidance in a fun, relatable way—while driving home the solution: Deep Health Wellness Clinics. By using physical space and narrative humor, the activation not only boosts memorability and shareability, it breaks through the clutter of seasonal health messaging with a smart, behavior-first reminder: you can’t hide from the flu, but you can beat it.
A Flu You Can’t Ignore: 3D Billboard Brings the Virus to Life
This billboard takes the “You Can’t Hide From the Flu” message to the next level with a 3D build-out of the flu virus character bursting out from the frame. The exaggerated, cartoonish germ adds dimensionality and surprise—creating a moment that’s both eye-catching and emotionally resonant. By breaking the boundaries of the traditional billboard format, this execution reinforces the idea that the flu is unavoidable—but also beatable—with fast action from Deep Health Wellness Clinics. It’s a playful, theatrical approach designed to spark curiosity, smiles, and ultimately, drive walk-in traffic.
Surprise Infection: An Elevator Reveal That Brings the Flu Face-to-Face
This dual-layer elevator activation delivers a literal “gotcha” moment. On the outside, a family cowers from the flu behind closed doors. But when the elevator opens, riders are met with a massive 3D-style flu virus bursting from within—bringing the campaign’s message to life in a visceral, unforgettable way. It’s bold, immersive, and perfectly on brand with the line “You Can’t Hide From the Flu.” Designed for high-traffic public spaces, this moment of surprise uses motion, humor, and a touch of suspense to increase awareness and drive traffic to Deep Health Wellness Clinics.
A Hard Truth in Healthcare Marketing
Despite internal enthusiasm, the “You Can’t Hide From the Flu” campaign was never greenlit. Not because it lacked strategy. Not because it didn’t resonate. But because it was different. It pushed boundaries. It dared to be playful, human, and bold in a category that too often defaults to safe, sterile messaging. And that right there is the problem. The very traits that made this campaign effective were the same ones that made it vulnerable to red tape.
The Big Picture
Healthcare marketing has a responsibility—to inform, to engage, and to connect in ways that actually move people. Yet too often, great ideas are sidelined by bureaucracy and fear of the unfamiliar. “You Can’t Hide From the Flu” wasn’t just a seasonal message. It was a wake-up call. A call for creativity that empowers rather than intimidates. A call to stop speaking in corporate tones and start reaching people where they are—with authenticity, courage, and imagination. If we want to change public health behavior, we have to change how we talk about it. Innovation isn’t a luxury in healthcare it’s our responsibility.
Creative Credit Notice: All featured work was created by Christopher Coppola during his tenure at Evok Advertising. Full rights remain with Evok Advertising. This site serves solely as a personal showcase of professional contributions.