• by Les Luchter , 6 hours ago

Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) “Won’t Lose,” the pharma giant declares as it marks the coming of the FIFA World Cup with its largest corporate image campaign in six years.

“Science, like soccer, is a game of inches. Many shots miss, but the ones that land, change everything,” explains a female voiceover in a :30 spot. “When the stakes are this real, victory must belong to patients. That’s why Bristol Myers Squibb won’t lose.”

Although unidentified in the ad, which is running on such connected TV platforms as Hulu, Roku and YouTube, a visit to the campaign microsite at bmswontlose.com reveals the narrator as Ali Krieger, two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup Champion. It also calls the video a “story of resilience.”

Campaign content is also running on programmatic display, streaming audio (e.g. Spotify, Pandora, iHeartRadio) and social media, among other platforms. Creative is from Omicom’s Siegel & Gale, with media buying also by Omnicom.

“Our paid media strategy allows us to tailor messaging to each audience while reinforcing a consistent, enterprise-level narrative about BMS’s purpose and impact,” a BMS spokesperson tells Marketing Daily. “The campaign is primarily targeting existing and potential patients, policymakers and key opinion leaders. For policymakers in particular, we’re using highly targeted, contextual placements to reach audiences engaged in healthcare and public policy.”

The content directs users to the microsite, a comprehensive site which includes the highlighting of five key BMS product categories: oncology, neuroscience, cardiovascular, hematology and immunology.

BMS’ official connection to the FIFA event comes from the Princeton-based company’s status as an “official New York New Jersey World Cup 2026 Host City Supporter.” As such, the company will have a presence at the “NYNJ World Cup 26 Jersey Fan Hub,” taking place at Sports Illustrated Stadium (Red Bull Stadium until 2025), located some 15 miles from New York/New Jersey Stadium (the temporary name of MetLife Stadium), where major matches will be taking place.

Wendy Short Bartie, BMS executive vice president of corporate affairs, says in a statement that “’Won’t Lose’ reflects who we are… driven by purpose and a commitment to deliver for patients.” She adds that “’Wont Lose’ isn’t about declaring victory, rather it’s about our belief that giving up is never an option.”

“Transforming patients’ lives through science,” however, will remain the company’s official tagline, the spokesperson says.

The overarching goal of “Won’t Lose,” the spokesperson elaborates, is “expanded brand awareness and deepening engagement among audiences familiar with BMS,” with specific objectives including the desire to: 

• “Leverage the world’s largest sports stage to strengthen corporate reputation with cultural relevance.
• Demonstrate our bold science, innovation and commitment to transforming patients' lives through on and offline activations.
• Engage global colleagues in various moments.”

The campaign’s effectiveness, the spokesperson continues, will be measured “using a combination of paid media performance metrics and brand level indicators, including reach, engagement and brand lift studies, as well as traffic and engagement with the campaign microsite and owned content.”

While the ad campaign will conclude at the end of July,  following the conclusion of the FIFA World Cup, the microsite will be live for exactly a year -- through May 4, 2027.