The Super Bowl might be best known for touchdowns and tailgate snacks, but in 2025, it became the unlikely launchpad for a groundbreaking health awareness campaign. For the first time in its history, global pharmaceutical company Novartis bought a coveted ad slot during the big game — not to sell a product, but to start a national conversation about breast cancer detection.
And no, this wasn’t your typical medical PSA with soft piano music and clinical language. This was loud, bold, and refreshingly different. With Hailee Steinfeld front and center, Novartis took a massive cultural stage and turned it into a spotlight for early breast cancer screening, a relatively unglamorous yet life-saving topic that too often slips under the radar.
Let’s unpack how this campaign didn’t just sell awareness — it sold empowerment.
The Power of Prime Time: Why the Super Bowl?
Let’s be honest: pharmaceutical companies aren’t exactly regulars during the Super Bowl. Between beer commercials, celebrity-packed car ads, and CGI-laden movie trailers, you don’t expect to see a call for routine health screenings.
But Novartis saw something different: an opportunity to talk directly to the American public — especially women aged 30 to 55 — in a setting where attention is earned, not given.
As Chief Marketing & Customer Experience Officer Ameet Nathwani put it, this wasn’t just about visibility. It was about urgency. Breast cancer doesn’t wait for convenient timing — and neither should the conversation about it.
“It’s Time to Pay Attention”: The Message
Enter: Hailee Steinfeld. With her commanding voice, effortless charisma, and multigenerational appeal, Steinfeld delivered a performance that didn’t whisper; it shouted.
In the ad, she breaks the fourth wall, speaks directly to viewers, and disrupts the usual feel-good rhythm of Super Bowl ads. The tagline?
“It’s time to pay attention.”
This wasn’t about doom and gloom — it was about control, curiosity, and care. Novartis shifted the tone from fear to empowerment, reinforcing the idea that awareness is a strength, not a burden.
Beyond Awareness: Educating About HER2-Low Breast Cancer
The real clinical muscle behind this campaign? A focus on HER2-low breast cancer — a lesser-known subtype that impacts nearly half of all women diagnosed with breast cancer.
Many people are familiar with HER2-positive or triple-negative classifications, but HER2-low often gets missed in mainstream conversations. Novartis aimed to bridge that knowledge gap.
This wasn’t just a brand move — it was a public health intervention, carefully crafted with input from oncologists, patient advocacy groups, and medical educators.
By educating the public about HER2-low, Novartis is helping women advocate for more nuanced diagnoses and appropriate treatment paths. The campaign encourages viewers to ask their doctors better questions and to stay curious about their own bodies — a huge shift from the often passive role patients are expected to play.
The Real Strategy: Turning a Commercial Into a Movement
One 30-second Super Bowl ad wasn’t the endgame. It was the kickoff.
The campaign is part of a much larger multichannel push:
YouTube extensions with educational videos. Social media content that speaks in the language of TikTok, Instagram, and real people — not pharma-speak. Partnerships with advocacy groups and health influencers to keep the conversation going year-round. Healthcare provider resources to help doctors explain HER2-low to their patients with clarity and empathy.
By meeting people where they are — on their screens, in their communities, and during cultural moments — Novartis is building a movement, not just a media plan.
A Cultural Shift in Healthcare Marketing
This ad marks a strategic evolution for Novartis — and, arguably, for pharma marketing as a whole.
Instead of focusing solely on disease and treatment, Novartis is leaning into lifestyle, mindset, and emotional intelligence. The goal is to normalize talking about health as part of daily life — not something reserved for clinics or crises.
And by entering the cultural arena — think Super Bowl, not just Science Daily — the brand is humanizing healthcare.
It’s a notable shift from transactional messaging to transformational storytelling.
Why This Matters in a Crowded Media World
We live in a time of information overload. Even the most important messages often get lost in the noise.
That’s what makes this campaign so smart. By showing up in the most high-profile, distraction-filled media event of the year and commanding attention with intention, Novartis proved that pharmaceutical advertising doesn’t have to be sterile or self-serious.
It can be urgent without being alarming, and empowering without being preachy.
And when done right? It can save lives.
Final Takeaways: Lessons for Advertisers
There’s a lot here for advertisers, marketers, and brand strategists to chew on — regardless of whether you’re in healthcare or not. Let’s break it down:
1. Meet People Where They Are
Don’t wait for your audience to come to you. Go where they already are — watching football, scrolling social media, or catching up on pop culture.
2. Use Culture as a Catalyst
Pop culture is a shortcut to relevance. Use it to start important conversations in places people least expect them.
3. Educate Without Lecturing
Steinfeld didn’t deliver a TED Talk. She sparked curiosity. Empower your audience by assuming they want to learn, not be told.
4. Go Beyond the Ad
Think campaign ecosystem: how will you extend the story? How will you turn attention into action?
5. Make Health Feel Human
Facts matter — but so do feelings. The most powerful messages are those that connect both.
Closing Thought: A New Era for Health Communications
Novartis didn’t just show up at the Super Bowl. They showed up for patients.
This campaign reflects a seismic shift in how we talk about healthcare — not as a distant system, but as a personal, cultural, and emotional part of our lives. And if more brands follow this model, we might just start seeing Super Bowl ads that not only entertain — but empower.