Ellis Medicine’s Bariatric Care Center was the first and currently largest surgery program in the market by volume, but four new competitors were fighting to build awareness and take away market share. The healthcare marketing campaign Smith & Jones created for 2012 took a new angle to defend Ellis’ leadership position. Looking beyond cosmetic benefits, we emphasized the bariatric surgery’s efficacy in controlling and even eliminating chronic health issues such as type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, sleep apnea and joint problems.

With the simple question, “what do you have to lose?” our integrated campaign drives traffic to videos on the Ellis website and encourages readers to attend a free, no-obligation weight loss seminar.

Supported by integrated messaging in online banner advertising, SEM and paid search marketing, the web videos have gained several thousand views in just a few months. The seminar series continues to grow in attendance and frequency, while the surgery program continues to operate at or near maximum capacity.

The patient videos have proven highly effective in communicating what the bariatric weight loss experience is like for patients; describing the learning process, the mental preparation, the actual surgery and the lifestyle changes that every bariatric patient experiences.

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