- TV-Wartezimmer and the Men's Health Foundation are bringing a Men's Health Movember ad—styled like a retro video game—to waiting rooms.
- The ad, produced in-house, is running network-wide on more than 8,000 screens in doctors' offices and medical facilities.
- The commercial is intended to encourage men to use their doctor's appointments to ask questions about preventive care and early detection.
TV-Wartezimmer, Europe’s largest health media network and the market leader in digital patient communication, is airing a new commercial in November—the campaign month—in collaboration with the Men’s Health Foundation. The in-house production is designed in the style of a platformer video game with a 1990s pixel art look. It aims to encourage men to take an active interest in their own health and to use their upcoming doctor’s appointment as an opportunity to ask questions about preventive care and early detection.
“For the commercial, we used the gameplay mechanics of a video game: A character collects points, and every action moves them forward,” says Friederike Albrecht, Head of Content at TV-Wartezimmer. “Applied to preventive care, this means that every step counts—from healthy eating and exercise to preventive care appointments. This makes the topic accessible without coming across as preachy. In this context, going to the doctor is the high score for your own health.”
Earning Points in the Waiting Room
In the commercial, the character is more active, eats a healthy diet, participates in activities, joins a community, and schedules a preventive health checkup. The backdrop is the health situation of men: According to the Men’s Health Foundation, men live, on average, about five years less than women.
According to the foundation, approximately 70,000 men in Germany are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year, making it the most common type of cancer among men. Starting at age 45, public health insurance plans cover an annual prostate screening. The foundation recommends that men learn about the benefits and available options early on. A consultation with a doctor provides the appropriate and trusting setting for this.
According to the foundation, testicular cancer—with over 4,000 new cases diagnosed each year—is less common but remains the most common malignant cancer among men between the ages of 20 and 45. In most cases, it is highly treatable: About 97 percent of those affected are cured in the long term. Because there are no regular screening exams for the testicles for young men, the foundation recommends that men between the ages of 15 and 45 check their testicles themselves, ideally once a month.
The Men's Health Foundation
“Men often don’t recognize illnesses until it’s too late. That’s why we raise awareness about men’s health among men of all ages and, during Movember, support companies and institutions with informational materials and expert presentations. The TV-Wartezimmer ad reaches men in doctors’ offices, where they have time and can ask their questions right then and there,” says Olaf Theuerkauf, Executive Director of the Men’s Health Foundation.
In addition to promoting early cancer detection, the ad raises awareness about mental health and encourages men to take action and talk to one another. Anyone interested in learning more can download guides from the Men’s Health Foundation at www.stiftung-maennergesundheit.de/downloads. The Movember ad will air starting November 1 on more than 8,000 screens in doctors’ offices and medical facilities. It is available for editorial teams to view at this link.
Caption/Photo credits: The TV-Wartezimmer commercial is intended to encourage men to take an active interest in their own health. © TV-Wartezimmer