WINNING THE HEARTS OF HEALTH CARE GRADS.

Working to address a workforce shortage.

The state of North Dakota works hard to educate and prepare health care students for careers in the medical field. However, the allure of bigger cities tends to draw much-needed talent away, leaving a shortage of skilled workers in less densely populated rural areas. The North Dakota Primary Care Office launched an initiative to bolster the recruitment and retention of critical health care providers to address workforce shortages that could negatively impact the health of the state’s residents.

Partnering with the state to help address the issue, we conducted research to uncover why people choose to work in North Dakota’s more rural areas. Using the insightful findings, we created a campaign highlighting the many benefits of small-town life, wooing health care grads with messaging in the form of a love letter signed off with the theme Love You To Stay.

We produced a 30-second commercial incorporating “love notes” for health care grads. The poetic message is written in a rhyming style, speaking to the promise of living a big life in small-town North Dakota. And it features West River Health Services, part of the North Dakota Health System.

Other campaign elements included a congratulations card to graduates from the state’s health officer, social, digital and a re-envisioned landing page. To add emotional impact, we leveraged the authentic appeal and vintage aesthetic of Polaroid photos, using the form as a unique and engaging framing device to portray the feel-good human experience of rural life in North Dakota.