THE CHALLENGE  If you've ever driven down 76 or 95 through Philadelphia, you've seen the parade of billboards for hospitals and health systems, all claiming to be number one at this or the best at that. It's madness. Our charge was to take a health system that actually did lead its field in almost everything and set it apart from all the shrill hysteria.

THE TARGET  Locals who might need serious medical attention sometime in the foreseeable future. So…everyone in Philadelphia. 

THE BIG IDEA  Go the other way. 

While everyone else was screaming at their prospective patients, we went the opposite direction and calmly took the time to explain who we are, what we can do, and what that could mean them. In other words, we're not just rank-hawking blowhard niche specialists…We are medicine.

THE CAMPAIGN We created a campaign that ran every Sunday in the Philadelphia Inquirer and consisted of a small ad on the front page (the first time that’s ever been done) that reported a breakthrough from the expert doctors at Penn and led readers to a more in-depth piece a few pages in. Admittedly, the articles are rather dry reading.

Unless you have cancer.

Or your mother has heart disease.

Or your dad has Parkinson’s.

Or anyone you love has whatever life-threatening condition that week’s article was about.

In that case, they’re fascinating, helpful, and even encouraging. People not only read them, but ripped them out and brought them to their doctors to discuss their treatment.