Pollin Fertility is positioning an inability to conceive as “natural” to smash societal stigmas in a new campaign.
The rhetorical question, “what is natural anyway?” adorns its creative and is superimposed over an image of cells under a microscope.
Diamond came up with the name, brand strategy, website, interior and creative, and has been involved with the midtown Toronto clinic since its inception and before its doors opened.
The idea of something being “natural,” says Diamond CCO Peter Ignazi, comes from discussions with Pollin Fertility about what happens when a couple wants to have a baby and finds they cannot. Typically, Ignazi says, a couple’s GP will use a phrase like, “try a few months the natural way, before we turn to other options,” a phrasing that is implies anything else is “unnatural.”
“We’re sending a message to society,” Ignazi says, telling strategy that his experience with SickKids while working at Cossette helped in terms of ideating around the importance of true empathy and understanding what would-be parents go through.
The Canadian Fertility and Andrology Society (CFAS) says that on average, one in six Canadians experience infertility, and many experience feelings of guilt or shame, suggesting their journey is anything but natural.
“It’s not just about medical procedures, it’s about treating people holistically,” Ignazi says. “But what gets lost in all of that is the very real human who is entitled to their very real emotions and desire to have a child.”
There are also more unconventional paths to parenthood like women who have frozen their eggs, same sex parents and solo mothers, Ignazi notes and that it was important address everyone.
The launch of the “What Is Natural Anyways?” brand positioning is only just beginning, Ignazi promises, with a prominent OOH, a takeover in Toronto-island airport and presence across owned properties.
It is going after busy professionals who travel a lot, but is looking for anyone seeking fertility help.
The fertility clinic’s first gala fundraiser, Smash the (in)fertility Stigma, is taking place in Toronto on May 2. With the average cost of one round of IVF between $15,000 and $20,000, the event is dedicated to increasing access to fertility care and smashing the negative stigma around fertility challenges by raising funds to help fund cycles for those that cannot afford them.
The OOH takeover was purchased with Pattison. PR support is via Heads & Tales and Epitaph for media. Canadian Fertility Awareness Week starts April 21.
Last fall, Pollin Fertility, announced a $20 million Series A fundraising round, led by Osmington, a private investment firm owned by David Thomson.
