• by Amy Corr , Staff Writer @MediaPostOTL, January 15, 2007

Music is often used as a way to reduce stress, aid digestion and improve sleeping habits. Take an hour’s worth of radio music, strip away the ads, and what you’re left with is roughly 45 minute’s worth of actual music. Not so in northern California, where Kaiser Permanente, one of the West Coat’s largest insurance providers, is doing more than buying local radio ads.

The company is purchasing an hour’s worth of ads on radio programs geared toward relaxation and meditation. But they’re not running any ads. What listeners receive is an hour’s worth of commercial-free radio, with a 60-second spot for KP running before and after the programming block.

“Our goal is to help listeners unwind--and in doing so, create a positive brand association with Kaiser Permanente,” said Valerie Constable, KP’s director of media.

The company bought an hour of ad time during KFOG's Sunday morning "Acoustic Sunrise," and an hour during KLLC's Sunday morning "Chill" program.

Two different 60-second ads were created for each program block. Click here and here to listen. Campbell-Ewald handled the creative and media planning, and Initiative did the broadcast buying.

“Music cleanses. It refreshes, soothes and inspires,” says one ad. “A lyric can lower blood pressure. An acoustic set can alleviate anxiety,” continues the ad, whose voiceover is clearly channeling Barry White.

“After all, your body is your instrument. Play it. Don’t worry if it sounds a little off-key,” says the second ad.  “When it comes to the music of health, we are the finest conductors in the world.”

The music and health-care puns runs amok, but the test concept works. What better way to zone out and forget your troubles for an hour than with uninterrupted soothing music?

“We believe this truly is a case where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts, and that we get more through positive association with this program than we would just purchasing and running spots,” said Constable. “Kaiser Permanente stands for total health and our commercial-free hour helps listeners experience this commitment firsthand,” she added.

Who says radio is a dead ad medium?