Legendary Olympic Athlete Colin Jackson has teamed up with Benecol to highlight the importance of knowing your cholesterol levels with a campaign encouraging UK adults to get tested to reduce the risk of serious health problems such as heart disease and stroke.
Although 4 out of 10 adults in the UK suffer from high cholesterol1, overall interest and understanding of cholesterol remains low. Research by the leading cholesterol-lowering food brand has also revealed that over a third of adults (37%) are unaware that high cholesterol carries no visible symptoms2.
Launching at the start of National Cholesterol Month on October 1st, the ‘Uncover Your Cholesterol’ campaign will include a Sky Media partnership featuring Colin speaking candidly with volunteers about discovering he had high cholesterol in 2006, despite being a former UK Olympic Sprinter and Hurdler. Throughout a series of 30- and 60-second spots, Colin and the volunteers will highlight that anyone can have high cholesterol – including those who are young, slim, eat well and exercise – as they wait to reveal the results of their personal cholesterol test.
“Our research has shown that despite its prevalence, awareness of the dangers associated with high cholesterol is low and there’s still lots of important education work to do. Almost a third (31%) of us have never had our cholesterol levels checked which leaves a huge number of potential diagnoses going undetected2,” said Corinne Toyn, Global Science Communication & Nutrition Manager at Benecol.
“The first and most important step is to get checked – and to encourage your friends and family to do the same. Once a high cholesterol diagnosis has been made, there are many things we can do, from simple diet switches to regular exercise and stress management measures, to ensure high cholesterol is brought under control to a safe level.”
Development of the integrated, multi-channel campaign has been a collaboration between Sky Media, Omnicom Media Group’s PHD Manchester, Mind+Matter and social agency Thinkhouse. Leveraging multiple Sky Media touchpoints, the media partnership will run the content throughout October across Linear TV and VoD, during peak spots like live football and premium Sky entertainment. AdSmart from Sky will also be used to target in-market category consumers using Nectar data, while Sky AdVance will retarget campaign viewers with brand display ads.
In addition, the campaign will include paid social and a PR campaign featuring a number of national and regional interviews with Colin, spanning TV, radio, print and digital media, aligning firstly with World Heart Day at the end of September and continuing through National Cholesterol Month.
“The commitment and collaboration between Benecol, Sky Media and each of the key agency partners has been key in delivering a consistent campaign which helps Colin connect with UK audiences,” said Rob Adams, Media Manager at PHD Manchester. “Pooling our collective expertise to shatter misconceptions and raise awareness about the importance of cholesterol testing has made this a rewarding campaign to be a part of.”
Sarah Jones, Director of Planning at Sky Media added, “Cholesterol Awareness Month is the ideal time for Benecol to put this important message front of mind. Across our linear, VoD, AdSmart and Advance products, we’re helping them tell their story in premium content, wherever people choose to watch.”
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