Covered California Reminds People the Importance of Health Insurance in Integrated Campaign

On the heels of a consequential election for the Affordable Care Act, Duncan Channon has launched a new integrated campaign for Covered California - the first and largest state-run health insurance marketplace created under the Affordable Care Act. ‘This Way to Health Insurance’ is the agency’s first work for Covered California as part of a five-year, $400m engagement to drive behavioural change among Californians who believe health insurance is not for them, or too expensive to secure.

At a time when the pandemic is driving unemployment, financial strain and mental health challenges, five new TV spots directed by Academy-award winning director Errol Morris aim to show Californians that Covered California is here to help - as a source for quality health insurance, and the place to get financial help for those that need it. Nine out of 10 people currently enrolled in Covered CA receive financial help to make their health coverage more affordable.

The TV spots unfold as in-home vignettes that offer a window into the everyday lives and concerns of people and families, including an unemployed father who needed help affording health insurance even as his kids think he’s a superhero; a man living with depression for whom mental health coverage has been everything; and, the daughter of a Latinx immigrant who’s always translated for her parents, but needed help understanding their health insurance options. The spots were directed remotely and feature real families - a choice dictated by pandemic safety that also lent authenticity and intimacy to the work.

“During a pandemic, people need direct help that doesn’t beat around the bush,” said Michael Lemme, chief creative officer, Duncan Channon. “Through slice-of-life stories that feel intimate and name people’s real constraints and concerns, we want Californians to know they aren’t alone – and to offer some confidence and knowledge that there’s a way for them to get insured. We want to move them to take the first step, and let Covered California help them get it done."

The campaign’s OOH and digital creative seeks to shape positive cultural perceptions about having health insurance. OOH ads with lines such as ‘Protect Your Most Valuable Assets,’ ‘In Sickness and Health,’ and ‘Health is Power’ call viewers to action by placing health insurance in context of family, marriage and personal empowerment. The photography, shot by We Are The Rhoads, features real families and allows Californians with a range of identities - Latinx, Black, Asian American and LGBTQ - to see themselves in the work.

Duncan Channon led the media strategy and buy for the State’s campaign to encourage Californians to sign up for health insurance plans during the open enrolment period. The campaign includes culturally relevant in-language creative in Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean, created in collaboration with multicultural agency partners Barú, APartnership and Quantasy - who also developed media strategies to reach specific cultural audiences. All work drives audiences to visit the website as the first step on their way to health insurance.

‘This Way to Health Insurance’ launches at a time when Covered California has a record 1.53million people enrolled - the highest figure since the marketplace launched in 2014. During a pandemic that has cost many Californians their jobs and employer-sponsored healthcare, the campaign is particularly relevant.

“At a time when people are rightfully concerned about their health, their jobs and their financial constraints, we want Californians to know that health insurance is one area where options and support are available,” said Colleen Stevens, marketing director, Covered California. “Our mission is to make sure not a single Californian goes without health insurance because they think it won’t make a difference, or is financially out of reach. We’re proud to partner with Duncan Channon on this new campaign that shows Californians that we see them - and are here to help connect them with affordable, quality health insurance.”