To encourage Brits to think of their pharmacist first when they have a health concern, Boots has launched a new humorous campaign designed to change consumer behaviour. 

The campaign launches Boots’ new long-term creative platform, entitled ‘Pharmacists Everywhere’, with a TV ad that shows Boots pharmacies are never too far away.

The spot sees pharmacists pop up in unexpected places as people start to notice symptoms of ill health. From cafes to restaurants, local parks and swimming pools, Boots pharmacists pop up out of nowhere to offer advice. 

A 30-second spot directed by Fiona McGee at Arts and Sciences opens with a person blowing their nose in a café. A barista turns into a Boots pharmacist to say: “Looks like sinusitis.” 

Audiences see a runner with a rash treated by a pharmacist leaping from a bush, a woman with a UTI who finds help from a pharmacist popping out of her living room lamp and a couple on a first date in a restaurant who are given contraceptive advice from a pharmacist posing as a waitress. 

Closing with the line: ‘You’re never too far from a pharmacist, ' the film highlights both the range of conditions pharmacists are able to support through advice, diagnosis and treatment and the accessibility of Boots pharmacists. With the ad highlighting that Boots has 1,800 stores across the UK.  

“By showing pharmacists popping up in the most unexpected places, we’ve put entertainment front and centre. It brings a fresh, playful, and humorous perspective to healthcare, and does so across every channel,” says Juliana Paracencio, Executive Creative Director at The Pharm at VML.

The campaign was inspired by research by Boots, which found that 39% of people admit to regularly de-prioritising their health during the busy back-to-school season. Feeling a burden to GPs (40%) and the time it takes to book and go to an appointment (49%), came out as the top reasons people may put their health on hold. 

Pharmacies can advise, diagnose and treat a range of common health conditions. This campaign aims to shift people's perceptions of Boots from being a healthcare retailer to the first port of call for people’s total healthcare.  

“This is our first behaviour change healthcare campaign that is designed and built for the long term. We know that, despite the broad range of healthcare support pharmacists can now provide, people don’t always think to visit their pharmacy first when they feel unwell,” explains Laura Gooday, Director of Marketing at Boots.

She continues: “By humorously showing our pharmacists pop up in unexpected places outside the pharmacy, we want to disrupt the typical healthcare journey of feeling unwell, waiting it out, and seeking support from a GP when symptoms don’t improve. Instead, we are encouraging people to visit their local Boots pharmacy as soon as they start feeling unwell, and in this campaign, we celebrate the wide range of healthcare conditions they can support people with – from earache to contraception – with no appointment needed.”

With over 80% of the population living 10 minutes away from a Boots, healthcare expertise is increasingly more accessible on the high street.  

The campaign will run across print, social, digital, in-store and ADOOH, showcasing real-time locations of pharmacist support. It is the first time Boots will use its own pharmacists in above-the-line materials. The integrated campaign has been developed in partnership with advertising and media agency, The Pharm and led by VML. The dedicated WPP partnership team also includes WPP Media, Hogarth and Ogilvy PR who have led on media, production and PR.   

With humour, the campaign successfully underlines the accessibility of Boots pharmacy and encourages consumers to prioritise their health.