Thuisarts launches first-ever brand campaign: ‘Zoek jezelf niet zieker’
With its first national campaign in thirteen years, created by Home, Thuisarts positions itself as the reliable antidote to online health misinformation and digital doom-scrolling.
More and more people in the Netherlands are turning to the internet for answers to health-related questions. But instead of reassurance, online searches often lead to anxiety and confusion. Research by KNMG and NOS shows that 85% of doctors – who are already under significant pressure – regularly encounter patients who have found incorrect information online. That is why Thuisarts, the Netherlands’ most consulted health information platform, is launching its very first nationwide campaign in its 13-year history: ‘Zoek jezelf niet zieker’ (Don’t search yourself sicker). The campaign was developed in collaboration with Home Agency.
Fighting misinformation
With this campaign, Thuisarts highlights the major difference between the uncertain answers people find through search engines, AI or social media, and the reliable medical information available on Thuisarts. The platform is developed by doctors and based on the latest guidelines from general practitioners, medical specialists and other healthcare professionals, all written in accessible language. The campaign will roll out nationwide and will be visible from mid-September through online video, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, radio commercials and DOOH.
Doctors are increasingly sounding the alarm about the amount of misinformation they encounter in consultation rooms. Swanet Woldhuis, Director of Thuisarts, says: “We are seeing a growing problem. This campaign marks the start of our long-term commitment to combating misinformation by guiding people towards reliable information about health and illness.”
“With ‘Zoek jezelf niet zieker’ , we created a campaign that communicates both urgency and relief. Everyone recognises the stress of googling symptoms and ending up in worst-case scenarios. Before you know it, you’ve become part of your own apocalyptic movie. Thuisarts is the rational alternative: the antidote to digital quackery and misinformation. No sensationalism, just clear facts in understandable language. That makes Thuisarts the place where you don’t become sicker, but wiser,” says Jorn Dost, Creative Director at Home Agency.
From harmless symptoms to online panic
For the campaign, three recognisable videos were developed to show how quickly online searches can spiral out of control. A young parent turns a simple complaint from her child into terrifying diagnoses, a truck driver googles his caffeine-related symptoms and ends up fearing heart problems, while a student scratches an itch until online self-diagnosis convinces him he has scabies. Using humour and a touch of absurdity, the films reinforce the campaign message: don’t search yourself sicker – check Thuisarts first.
New visual identity
With this campaign, Thuisarts also introduces its renewed visual identity, developed in collaboration with Reaktor. The new look and feel reflects Thuisarts’ role as a trustworthy and accessible health guide. Featuring an iconic new logo and a fresh green-toned colour palette, Thuisarts takes the next step in strengthening its position as the Netherlands’ leading digital health platform.
Watch the campaign videos here:
Video 1
Video 2
Video 3
