health

Stryker Enlists High-profile Sports Stars

NFL Hall of Famer Jerome Bettis and PGA Pro Fred Funk are featured in a light-hearted video series from Stryker, a medical technologies company.

The sports celebrities went on a road trip to three U.S. cities and highlighted ways to stay mobile and active by engaging in healthy activities. The three episodes, the first of which debuts today, aim to communicate the importance of healthy joints, and shows that there are healthy activities out there for everyone.

During episode one, the duo takes on Miami and participates in yoga on the beach followed by spin class. The second episode goes live on July 12.

This idea evolved from existing efforts that Stryker makes to educate people about the importance of leading an active lifestyle, says Lori Quigley, vice president, marketing and education services, Stryker Orthopaedics.

For the past four years, Stryker has been the “Official Joint Replacement Products of the PGA Tour and PGA Tour Champions.” The brand aims to educate fans about the importance of joint health through an onsite activation, “The Mobility Zone.”

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“This year we decided to further communicate our brand message to a broader audience through this content series that showcases everyday activities that are relatable to everyone,” Quigley tells Marketing Daily.

Aside from living on www.StrykerChallenge.com, each episode will be supported by Bettis and Funk’s respective social channels. Stryker also leveraged a media partnership with USA Today to help launch the teaser and first episode through landing page takeovers. The remaining episodes will be supported through syndicated ad and social media efforts, she says. 

Funk has been a Stryker brand ambassador since 2011 after undergoing a total knee replacement and receiving Stryker’s GetAroundKnee in November 2009. Bettis joined as an endorser last year. Even though he is not a joint replacement recipient, the former NFL player knows about joint pain and the impact that it has on the body and lifestyle.

“After seeing Fred and Jerome together for the first time, our team noticed their instant chemistry and incredible sense of humor,” Quigley says. “We figured that it’d be a great idea to capture and share Fred and Jerome being themselves in everyday activities that resonate with a larger audience.” 

The company did not use an ad agency in creating the content, Quigley says.

“The content series was purely a PR-driven idea from inception to execution,” she says. “We did not work with a creative agency. It was a collaboration between Stryker, our PR agency (Ketchum Sports and Entertainment) and a contracted production team [The Post Game].”

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