Chad Strider is a spoof character of mockumentary “Born To Walk” created as a core of the cardiovascular prevention campaign. Behind the campaign is a private healthcare company Bupa. Bupa services include health insurance and other funding products, hospitals and primary care centres, chronic disease management, home healthcare, dental centres, prevention and workplace health, and care services, including residential and nursing homes and retirement villages.
The “Born To Walk” campaign promotes free walking app, Ground Miles, which aims to inspire people around the world to walk more. The app is made in cooperation with World Heart Federation.
It is Bupa’s first-ever global digital marketing campaign and it has really cool, tongue-in-cheek style. A short, 3:50 video shot in Hollywood, tells the story of ‘Chad Strider’, a character who believes he is the world’s best walker. It follows Chad’s ridiculous life story in a classic Hollywood rise and fall from grace.
The film was created by Hometown London advertising agency.
“We really pushed Bupa out of their comfort zone with this campaign but they continuously surprised us by embracing and championing some brave and challenging content. Developing this character and campaign has been a joy. I hope this is just the first step on a long road for Chad Strider.”
– a founder and creative ditrector of Hometown London, David Gamble said
The film is being promoted through a centralised media-spend, as well as through social media, digital marketing and PR activities.
“We want to inspire millions of people around the world to walk more. ‘Born to Walk’ does this with a tone and edge that I think will surprise and engage people and get them walking.”
– said Carol Baubock, global brand and corporate marketing director, Bupa.
The campaign is really nice, although after the first successful video with more than million views, a followup gathered just few hundreds of clicks.
Bupa marketers should work more on the placement of the campaign in the social space. Unfortunately sharing YouTube content in other networks is not as successful as creating channel specific content could be. Still those are just few first steps of Chad Strider and Bupa on its way to digital marketing proficiency. Good luck!
