“We’re really pleased with the campaign, which has got off to a great start. We hope that it can grow and expand from here to have the biggest impact possible on people’s health and on their experiences when accessing surgical services.”
Sophie Blow, Clinical Lead, Leeds Teaching Hospitals
The challenge
Connecting with the audience
Changing lifelong habits can be a challenge, so it was essential for this Leeds-focused campaign to connect meaningfully with the target audience. The campaign needed to clearly communicate the benefits and set achievable goals for patients, while also reaching a broad audience through various media channels, including social, web, print, and video.
What we did
Putting the PLAN into action
Our UX team began the project with an in-depth discovery phase which included mapping out the user journey and touchpoints. Research revealed the importance of a simple, memorable concept with impactful visuals, leading us to develop the "Shape Up 4 Surgery" campaign around the acronym "PLAN," which emphasised four key areas:
- Physical – exercise & movement
- Lifestyle – eating and wellbeing
- Awareness – smoking & drinking
- Next Steps – preparing for surgery
Accessibility was a priority, so our creative team crafted a soft, approachable look, using hand-drawn typography, inclusive character illustrations, and versatile graphics to convey the message effectively.
To maximise reach, we implemented a comprehensive campaign across Leeds with:
- A dedicated “Shape Up 4 Surgery” microsite
- An animated video to illustrate the surgical journey
- Promotional materials on Trust delivery vans and buses
- A digital advert displayed at Millennium Square in Leeds
- A printed postcard for patients to promote the PLAN benefits
- Targeted social media ad campaigns across Facebook and Instagram
- Social media assets, including templates, video snippets, and banners
The results
High impact with great on-target reach
Our Leeds-centric campaign achieved significant success, generating over 1,000,000 impressions and more than 5,000 landing page views within the first two months. The click-through rate far exceeded healthcare industry averages, while the cost per click remained well below typical benchmarks. This impact highlights the success of a targeted, accessible, and locally-focused approach.