NHS marks 70 years: The change in marketing over the decades

The NHS celebrates its 70^th anniversary this week and to commemorate the occasion, at CIM we’ve taken a look at how their marketing has evolved and changed over the decades as the NHS has grown and adapted to new technologies.

The NHS has invested in marketing over the years to ensure that the public is well-educated about the importance of having a healthy lifestyle and benefits of a free national health service. By understanding how the public engages with information in the modern era, marketing products such as a mobile app to keep track of your alcohol consumption have enabled the NHS to not only treat the public when they are ill, but also help them to stay well whilst providing the right messages, allowing the NHS to reach more people and increase awareness.  

CIM’s CEO Chris Daly says: “As the NHS marks 70 years, it’s fascinating to look at the way marketing has been used to promote the service and educate the public over the decades. Since its humble beginnings in the 1940s right through to the 21st century, marketing has supported the NHS by raising awareness of its core values and promoting good health across the nation.

“From providing medical advice in a pamphlet in 1948 through to making the most of modern technology in the form of apps such as "Couch to 5k", the NHS has always embraced marketing. The launch of the new TV advertising campaign this week to attract a new generation of nurses underlines the extent of the transformation in the way the NHS engages with the public."

Examples of how NHS marketing has evolved

1948: The birth of the NHS – Aneurin Bevan, the creator of the NHS (seen below) with a poster promoting what the national health service offers the British public

1948: When the National Health Service was founded on July 5 1948, a promotional leaflet was distributed, announcing the news (seen below)

00s: Get running with Couch to 5K, an app designed to help you gradually start building up to run 5k in 9 weeks, downloadable via mobile devices and computer

00s: ‘One You drinks tracker’ – a free daily tracker that allows you to keep a close eye on your alcohol intake and also allows you to quickly calculate your drink units whilst getting personalised feedback

00s: The new 2018 TV advertising recruitment campaign 'We Are The NHS' designed to attract thousands of new nurses to the profession:

Click on the link for the full TV advertising campaign: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjJ7DM1vq3o