Emplify Health expands A Little Empathy platform

After introducing audiences to “Little Empathy,” the small blue animated heart designed to personify compassion, the new Emplify Health campaign puts the beloved character into action, demonstrating what empathy actually looks like in healthcare settings. 

The latest work includes two new animated spots. Melting a Heart follows an older man who, on the surface, appears grumpy, but, in reality, feels anxious with his wife in the hospital. As he witnesses the tenderness and care she receives, his worry begins to melt away, replaced with overwhelming relief.

Caring for Dad shows how empathy can extend beyond the walls of the hospital, helping a hospitalised father remain present for his daughter’s volleyball game despite being away from home.

Like the original campaign, the new spots lean into animation as a more emotionally resonant storytelling device than traditional live-action healthcare advertising. The Little Empathy character continues to serve as the emotional connective tissue throughout the work, helping audiences not just understand empathy, but feel it. The campaign is running across TV and digital.

Emplify Health has also continued integrating Little Empathy into the patient experience itself, including through plushie giveaways that have become increasingly popular with both patients and staff.

Cramer-Krasselt is also expanding its scope with Emplify Health to include media strategy and buying, marking a significant growth of the partnership. The new strategy modernises Emplify Health’s media mix, shifting from a predominantly traditional approach to a more digitally led model, including the company’s first major investment across multiple streaming platforms, moving beyond a historical reliance on linear TV to deliver more targeted, data-driven audience engagement.

“Healthcare marketing still leans heavily on the same familiar formulas, and we saw an opportunity to do something more emotionally honest and creatively distinctive,” said Betsy Brown, Managing Director at Cramer-Krasselt. “What started as a creative leap has turned into an ownable brand platform for Emplify Health, one that continues to resonate deeply with patients, staff and the broader community.” 

“Our new campaign marks a defining moment in Emplify Health’s brand growth,” said Alison Fiebig, Vice President, Strategy, Brand, Marketing & Communications at Emplify Health. “The momentum is undeniable, the bar keeps rising, and the work continues to stand apart across the industry. It’s powerful, differentiated, and reflects exactly where we’re headed. We're grateful to keep building with Cramer-Krasselt.”