Mortar SF uses light-hearted approach in ad campaign for ER

A departure from typical healthcare advertising, Mortar’s campaign for St. Mary’s takes a gently humorous approach to the everyday situations that send people to the emergency room. Whether they are hurt crossing the street or fall ill after eating something adventurous, San Franciscans can start down the road to recovery within 30 minutes of arriving at St. Mary’s QuickCare. Intended to deliver a local, San Francisco feel, the ads can be seen around the city on buses, bus shelters, and banners.

“Humor is rarely used in healthcare, and we wanted to develop a campaign that is refreshing, new and above all approachable,” said Tim Spry, creative director at Mortar. “Accidents are a reality of life—no one likes going to the emergency room. By taking a light-hearted approach, this campaign says that if you need to go—even for minor injuries—St. Mary’s will have you in and seen in no time.”

Upset tummies often warrant a visit to the ER too: food poisoning affects more than 200,000 Americans every day. And as one of the world’s culinary epicenters, San Francisco is home to plenty of daring diners. So the campaign also reminds viewers that it’s OK to visit the ER if you are feeling queasy.

The campaign was created by:
Copywriters: Hugh Gurin, Tim Spry
Art Director: Lotus Child

Every day in San Francisco, nearly 10 people are injured in traffic collisions—incredibly 1 in 6 of traffic-related injuries are caused by people violating traffic signals. That’s why one ad, headlined “I can totally make it,” features a close-up of a pedestrian walk light flashing “3 seconds.”