“Life After” Wins Gold Telly Award
Seeing this photo was one of the most rewarding parts of my week. It's proof that telling stories that have an impact isn't limited to big brands or national TV.
In the photo is a heart attack survivor in his early 40s, with him are his wife, their youngest child, hospital leadership, and one of the nurses that cared for him.
The patient coded in the hallway outside of ER, and the hospital’s team did CPR for 52 minutes to keep him alive. Miraculously, he lived and had zero brain damage.
We helped the hospital tell the patient's story in an unusual way: The voices of patient and his wife recounted the details of the event, while the scenes and experiences they described were brought to life with animation.
At the national Telly Awards the film beat out submissions by massive brands like Google, Amazon, FoxSports, Harvard, PepsiCo and others — winning a Gold Telly.
How did a small-town hospital win a national advertising award?
The hospital led with their mission. They focused on the local, letting the people they served tell the story. And they took a risk on creative, embracing animation, an unusual approach for the video.
As the hospital’s community outreach leader said:
This award is a tribute to the story and the relationship of Shawn [the patient] and Angela [his wife]. With the film being seen and utilized by more people, the goal is to help others recognize early signs and seek help.
Watch the film and read an article that I wrote about the hospital’s approach. Their experience shows that even local brands and small-town hospitals can earn a national spotlight.