Key Findings
- Emplify Health’s "A Little Empathy" stands out by using animation to tell a heartfelt story about empathy in healthcare, a fresh approach in an industry filled with clichéd ads.
- Brands can create deeper emotional connections with their audience, turning traditional advertising into a more personal, memorable experience.
- The campaign’s diverse reach demonstrates how integrating various touchpoints can amplify a brand’s message and extend its impact.
Healthcare ads often feel repetitive and boring.
Emplify Health is rewriting the script with a new, animated campaign that puts empathy front and center.
Developed with integrated agency Cramer-Krasselt (C-K), “A Little Empathy” is a campaign that aims to evoke compassion and connection in the healthcare industry.
The commercial introduces Little Empathy, a small, blue animated heart that embarks on a journey to find its place in the world, showcasing how a simple act of kindness can create a sense of belonging.
We sure are having fun introducing everyone to Little Empathy in our clinics and hospitals 💙 pic.twitter.com/A9tMxsejBd
— Emplify Health (@emplify_health) March 26, 2025
C-K executives shared exclusive insights with DesignRush about the creative process behind the campaign.
Executive Creative Director Todd Stone emphasized the power of animation in relaying deep emotions.
“Sometimes, animation can convey human emotions better than actual people can. So, when Emplify Health wanted to be known for their empathy — a big and complex concept — we personified it through a character. A small blue heart who made empathy easily understood and felt by all.”
Meanwhile, Managing Director Betsy Brown highlighted the challenge of breaking through the typical healthcare advertising noise.
“It's really hard to do unique work in the healthcare world. There are only so many ways you show doctors and patients interacting, which make differentiation hard.
We wanted to go in a totally different direction, so we created this character and leaned into this animation style that feels really unexpected for the category.”
Welcome Little Empathy to Emplify Health! This tiny but mighty character embodies our dedication to amplifying empathy in healthcare. Small gestures, like a smile or a listening ear, can make a huge difference. A little empathy changes everything. #healthcarewithheartpic.twitter.com/JY91Y0xZli
— Emplify Health (@emplify_health) March 17, 2025
Emplify Health and C-K are using a relatable, animated character to create an emotional connection with viewers, making empathy feel more real and accessible.
This shift away from traditional healthcare ads reflects a growing focus on authentic storytelling and real engagement.
Little Empathy’s journey is a response to the increasing demand for brands to communicate in a more genuine and heartfelt way.
Let 'A Little Empathy' In
The 30-second spot begins with a small blue heart cradling a smaller heart in its arms as it searches for a place to call home.
Despite its efforts to find someone to take it in, Little Empathy struggles to connect.
One day, it sits on a park bench next to a doctor, who strikes up a conversation, quickly befriending the heart.
The doctor invites Little Empathy to join her at the hospital, where it discovers a community of other hearts just like it.
The ad closes with a narration emphasizing how a little empathy can make all the difference.
Emplify Health tells a relatable and emotionally resonant story that simplifies complex concepts like empathy, demonstrating the power of authentic communication in healthcare marketing.
The campaign highlights how creative, human-centered approaches can differentiate brands in saturated markets and foster deeper connections with audiences.
Meanwhile, FCB Health New York, SAFE Project, and LOBO previously released “The Snowball,” an animated short exposing the link between winter and rising alcohol misuse.
