New advert pokes fun at unsolicited weight loss advice

Anyone who's ever tried to lose weight, and made the mistake of mentioning it to other people, will know what it's like to receive a barrage of unwanted advice. MedExpress' new advert pokes fun at that culture with a witty new ad taking down unsolicited advice.

Created by Pentagram, specifically its Brand Narrative team, the advert was directed by Lachlan Dickie. It's set in a café but things take a turn when people in the café all begin to offer increasingly enthusiastic, incomprehensible and surreal weight loss advice. The main character, not surprisingly, becomes overwhelmed and annoyed.

The film reaches its climax as strangers begin shouting 'advice, advice, advice'. Then finally a MedExpress clinician enters and suggests she go to MedExpress instead, for healthcare without the noise.

Will this spot make it to our list of best adverts?

There's a radio ad too, and the spot will run across ITV, Channel4, Amazon Prime and in cinemas throughout January, typically a prime time for people starting new weight loss regimes.

"At a time of year when people are overwhelmed with conflicting weight loss advice, this campaign shows the value of having real medical professionals guiding decisions clearly, compassionately and based on evidence," says Philippa Thomas, brand director at MedExpress.

Image 1 of 3

Ashley Johnson, associate partner and head of brand narrative at Pentagram says, "The campaign is just the start of our creative relationship with MedExpress, but the new positioning gave us the confidence to respond to a very real, very human insight. January is a time when people are bombarded with opinions about their bodies and health, often framed as help, but rarely experienced that way.

"This campaign deliberately cuts through that noise. It’s empathetic, self-aware and a little surreal, but it ultimately positions MedExpress as an ally that ‘gets it’, and a place for clear, clinically-led guidance rather than judgement or over-promising hype."

"So many weight loss ads feel patronising and infantilising," says Ruth Jamieson, copywriter. "Often they’re really judgey, and that doesn’t sit right with us. We wanted to do something different and create an ad that would help people feel seen and entertained. Ultimately, we’ve all been in the situation of receiving health advice we don’t want or that doesn’t help and we wanted to poke fun at that, while showing MedExpress as an alternative to the noise."

I think this advert achieves its goals really well. It's refreshing to see a spot poke fun at unsolicited advice in this way.