Social media are full of so-called wellness “hacks” that range from the weird but harmless to the downright damaging—and, now, Bayer is taking to its own online feeds to battle that misinformation.
A new campaign from the pharma’s U.S. consumer health division is designed to emphasize how, contrary to fleeting wellness trends, its long-standing One A Day multivitamins and supplements are made based on actual science. According to Bayer, its products are formulated by experts in nutritional science and put through “over 100 rigorous quality checks” before they reach store shelves—though, as with all other supplements, their safety and efficacy claims aren’t backed by the FDA.
“One A Day is a multivitamin and supplement brand rooted in nutritional science, supporting consumers’ wellness for over 80 years. In a world inundated with wellness noise, One A Day is committed to help consumers navigate the wellness noise and provide them with scientifically designed products to support their health and wellness,” Lisa Perez, general manager and vice president of marketing for the nutritionals segment at Bayer, said in the campaign’s kickoff announcement Monday.
To make that point, Bayer has enlisted the support of Julian Edelman, a former player on the New England Patriots NFL team. In the first of a series of videos shared on the official One A Day social media accounts, Edelman runs through a list of wellness fads he’s tried out—including “crazy low-carb diets,” he says, while chowing down on a stick of butter—then shares that he’s moved on from those “out-there” methods to more scientifically sound ones.
“People have suggested a lot of strange wellness diets to me. I’ve tried it all. But I’ve learned to ignore all the weird nutrition advice and build habits based in science, like eating healthy and adding One A Day,” the athlete said in Bayer’s announcement this week.
In each video, Edelman asks viewers to share their own “#WellnessConfessionals” detailing any fads they regret trying.
Those who chime in with their own stories—by posting a photo or video on Instagram, TikTok or Facebook by the end of June that tags One A Day and includes hashtags for the campaign and sweepstakes—are entered to win “a 5-night stay at one of America’s top health retreats,” according to the campaign’s latest post.
“Even the best of us have fallen for the wellness fads. That’s why I stick with science. That’s what matters to me,” Edelman adds in the video.
The #WellnessConfessionals campaign arrives as another of Bayer’s consumer health brands begins a new DTC effort of its own: The “PeriodTalk with Midol” campaign announced last week is aimed at encouraging more candid conversations around menstruation.
Both launches come ahead of a planned switch-up for the division’s marketing team. At the end of May, Jeff Jarrett is slated to step down from his current role as chief marketing officer for Bayer Consumer Health’s North America region, at which point Samantha Avivi will take the reins.