“Obesity is a disease. It’s time to see it as such”.
That is the direct and forceful message that the pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly has been launching for a few days with its new advertising campaign, “Compelling Reasons”, worked together with the creative agency Ogilvy. With it, as the company explained in a statement, it seeks to launch a message of awareness and open a social conversation about excess weight, as well as make visible the complexity of obesity.

The campaign, launched at the end of September, is made up of various communication actions, including the execution of television advertisements, outdoor advertising, social networks and branded content. In all of them, the company describes obesity as a chronic, complex, progressive and multifactorial disease and points out that its solution goes far beyond the widespread and generalized idea of ​​“eat less and move more.”

This is reflected in some of the audiovisual pieces that make up the campaign, and which show a young woman exercising as a formula to try to lose weight. The images are accompanied by a voice-over that reflects a voice message from his mother and in which she apologizes for a limited view of the situation.

“Sometimes, behind a person with obesity there are years of effort, guilt and messages that reduce a complex reality to a matter of will. With this campaign we want to contribute to changing that view and remember that obesity is a chronic and progressive disease in which multiple factors intervene.”, the brand commented on social networks.

The strategy is supported by data from the Social and Medical Perception Survey of Obesity in Spain, promoted by Lilly and carried out together with the research company IPSOS. As the company explains in a statement, the study was carried out among 200 primary care doctors and 1,7000 people with a BMI (Body Mass Index) greater than 30kg/m2, the range from which obesity is considered.

Among the findings, it stands out that 60% of those surveyed recognize that obesity is a disease and that 76% consider that excess weight affects their health. However, 56% identify that they live with obesity, which gives rise to a gap between knowledge and self-perception. This, as Lilly points out, shows “the need to continue talking about this disease from a broader perspective, away from simplifications and prejudices”.

“The data from this survey shows that the time has come for patients and medical professionals to have a different conversation. Addressing obesity for what it truly is and doing so early can help prevent complications associated with this pathology.“; explained Teresa Millán, Director of Corporate Affairs at Lilly Spain, in a statement. “Our commitment is to help Primary Care doctors and patients speak the same language and together we address obesity and overweight with the same priority as other diseases.”.

The campaign is launched in a context of expansion and growth of GLP-1 drugs, which address the modulation of hormonal pathways that regulate appetite and metabolism, and which have emerged as a way to treat diabetes, and also obesity. In Spain, Lilly markets Mounjaro, and in the United States it already offers Foundayo (orforglipron), a GLP-1 pill that is administered orally for weight loss.

This subtext can be read in “Compelling reasons”, but the company has opted for a more elevated and emotional discourse to also adapt to Spanish regulation, which prohibits advertising to the general public of medicines subject to medical prescription, in accordance with Royal Decree 1416/1994.

“Compelling Reasons” Conversations

That is why Lilly’s strategy is also committed to branded content, with a series of content that it presented at the beginning of this summer and that brings together recognized profiles from fields such as culture, sports, gastronomy and health. Among them, the tennis coach Toni Nadal, the chef Dani García, the designer Vicky Martín Berrocal, the influencer Alba Díaz, or the specialist in endocrinology and nutrition Cristóbal Morales.

The pieces collect testimonies, interviews and conversations both in groups and with each of them with the aim of conveying to the public the message that with the increasing numbers of obesity and overweight it is time to focus on better information and social awareness that helps eliminate judgments and stigmas.

“With ‘Reasons of Weight’ we seek to open a real conversation about excess weight, to make visible the complexity of a disease that continues to be surrounded by stigmas and prejudices that do not help the affected people.“, commented Teresa Millán at the time of launching the initiative. “Having such different voices allows us to reach different audiences and convey the diversity of experiences while reinforcing the need for a personalized and comprehensive approach.”.

In addition, the campaign also has the support of influencers and content creators in the field of health and well-being who are helping to amplify the brand’s messages. Lilly is collaborating with Aitor Sánchez, a reference in nutritional dissemination; Esther Gómez, health communicator; Alicia González and José Abellán, who provide scientific and medical context to understand obesity from a comprehensive perspective, and Xuan Lan, yoga instructor and wellness specialist.

Original publication by José Abellán on Instagram.

“Reasons of weight” also has outdoor advertising graphics that, like the rest of the activations, encourage society to educate themselves about obesity. The graphics present a minimalist design that includes the campaign slogan and encourage you to visit the website dedicated to the initiative, which contains information, data of interest or advice for addressing the disease.

The campaign, however, has been received by the public with diverse opinions. While one section applauds the awareness-raising exercise, others accuse the company of “fatphobia”, as can be seen in the photograph shared on Linkedin by Álvaro Barroso, Doctor in Sports Sciences, which shows how one of the canopies has been vandalized.
“Destroying or vandalizing a message that makes a chronic illness visible only shows that the biggest obstacle we face is not only physical condition, but social ignorance.”the specialist has reflected.

“Reasons of Weight” is the evolution of “The Weight of the Invisible”, the campaign launched by Lilly in 2024 with the intention of raising awareness about the reality of obesity.
Lilly assures that more than 9,000 people have participated in the traveling information points, where they have been able to take free body composition tests, learn more about their metabolic health and receive information about obesity and healthy habits.