• by Les Luchter , November 1, 2023

Regional health insurance company Premera Blue Cross is appealing to employers in the state of Washington with a campaign focusing on camaraderie and care among workers rather than on such issues as plan benefits or provider networks.

“They’re so much more than employees, so give them the health plan they deserve,” declare three :30 spots created by the Copacino Fujikado agency.

In one spot, a man stuck at home receives multiple boxes of free meals sent by his co-workers.

In a second spot, a distraught man in his cubicle sees notes posted by two co-workers to his glass wall. “Skip the 4:30,” reads one. “We’ve got you,” reads the other. 

Another spot shows a woman getting her head shaved by one co-worker. A second co-worker than gets his own head shaved in solidarity.

Copacino Fujikado says the campaign, which will run through Dec. 15, is based on research the agency conducted with both employees and employers, online and in-person. The study found familial dynamics at play in the post-pandemic workplace, which in turn is fueling increased camaraderie and care among coworkers.

Eric Trott, vice president of marketing and communications at Premera Blue Cross, referred to “a more human approach” as opposed to other health plans “promoting table stakes attributes.”

The three Premera spots are running on linear TV (with a heavy focus on prime time and high-profile sports), connected TV and online video. The campaign also includes native display, standard display, LinkedIn ads, and Google SEM.

Premera Blue Cross, which also operates in Alaska, is the 32nd largest health insurance company in the U.S., according to Forbes. And Mark Farrah Associates, a market analyst for the healthcare industry, says it leads in Washington commercial health insurance, with nearly half of the pie, beating out Cambia and Kaiser.

And Premera must be doing all right by its own employees, since Forbes earlier this year ranked the insurer 89^th on its list of “America’s Best Mid-Size Employers,” which is based on how many people in a survey of 45,000 workers would recommend their current employer to friends and family.