Finding the right doctor can feel like a gamble, but Zocdoc wants patients to know they don’t have to settle.
That’s the premise behind the healthcare app’s new national campaign, “You’ve Got Options,” created by 72andSunny. The work takes a humorous, character-driven approach to the everyday anxieties of seeking medical advice, aiming to normalize the idea that it’s okay to shop around for the right doctor, dentist, or therapist.
The work is based on the insight that choice in healthcare still feels out of reach for many consumers, said Jessica Aptman, Zocdoc’s chief communications officer.
“The ability to have options and to be empowered…is all too often and regrettably a foreign concept in healthcare,” Aptman said.
She pointed to data that reinforces why that sense of agency matters: 8 out of 10 users return to the doctor they initially find on the platform, often going on to build long-term relationships, according to Zocdoc.
Each of the four ads focuses on the relief and sometimes unexpected humor that comes with finding that perfect match.
In one spot, a visibly harried mom exhales after finally booking a primary care doctor. In another, a nervous skydiver calms down when her instructor leans in mid-flight to recommend a specialist via the app.
Elsewhere, two goth teens bond over choosing a taciturn doctor who doesn’t make small talk, while a pair of fast-talking cattle auctioneers discuss mental health.
Ashton Rose, group creative director at 72andSunny, said the creative challenge was striking the right balance between humor and sensitivity.
“The more specific we got, the more universal they felt, and that’s always the sweet spot,” Rose said. “Even if it’s funny, if you can tell the truth and let people see themselves in the work, that’s when things start clicking.”
That line was especially important given the subject matter. “We’re not trying to minimize anything; we just want it all to feel relatable,” Rose added. “Any time it starts to feel like you’re making fun of someone, it’s way off the tracks.”
Most of the spots feature professional actors, apart from the auctioneers. The team realized that no actor could convincingly replicate the rapid-fire cadence of a true bid-caller, so they cast World Livestock Auctioneer Champion Dean Edge to bring authenticity to the role.
“We were thinking, ‘who talks a lot, but never really feels heard?’” said Rose. “The most absurd version of it was the cattle auctioneer. So that kind of wrote itself, but we also loved that it just felt really destigmatizing.”
Beyond the novelty, he added, the scene also felt quietly subversive: “At a surface level, these might not be the two guys you’d historically expect to be sitting in a stadium talking about mental health.”
The commercials will run across national linear and streaming TV, with two debuting this week and the remaining ads rolling out later in the year. The 72andSunny team is also developing an accompanying audio campaign, featuring new plotlines built around the same insight.
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