• by April 28, 2009

HMO giant Kaiser Permanente has debuted two 30-second TV spots as the latest elements of its five-year-old, $50-million-per-year "Thrive" campaign.

 

A bilingual spot with Latin music, "Mural," focuses on community partnerships and is running in California, Oregon, Washington and Denver. In the commercial, young urban artists turn a blighted urban environment into a park with farmers market and soccer field. It closes with the words: "Imagine Health. Kaiser Permanente. Viva Bien."

A second new spot, "Kabuki," showcasing the benefits of an integrated health care system, features a guitar-playing patient who then does a Japanese-inspired dance with actual Kaiser Permanente medical professionals. A voiceover says: "You and your Kaiser Permanente team. Together, you rock." The spot airs in California, Oregon/ Washington, southern Colorado, Hawaii and Georgia.

The new commercials premiered Monday, and will run during such network shows as "Grey's Anatomy," "American Idol," "Dancing With the Stars," "Lost" and "The Office." Agencies involved are Interpublic shops Campbell-Ewald (creative and media) and Accentmarketing (Hispanic).

Since the Thrive campaign launched in 2004, Kaiser Permanente has now run 18 different TV commercials, including two Spanish-language ads.

This year's campaign is also using online, radio, print, and outdoor -- including bus and train wraps, cinema spots, ads in public transit areas, and displays in gyms. The Thrive Web site (www.kp.org/thrive) at Kaiser Permanente includes health tips, nutrition information, recipes, music selections and an exercise widget.

Publicis Groupe's Digitas was named Kaiser Permanente's online creative agency in March.