ABOUT

Concept
ICE partnered with NHS England NorthWest to deliver a targeted AAA screening campaign across Cheshire&Merseyside and Lancashire&South Cumbria. With no existing brand or resources in place, ICE co-created these with a communications toolkit to support both the campaign and wider stakeholder engagement.

The assets focused on reaching men aged65+ and their families, particularly in underserved communities. The campaign amplified local voices and tailored messages to community needs, and ultisied a three-pronged marketing approach: social media, out-of-home advertising, and grassroots outreach. The result was an inclusive, insight-driven initiative that increased awareness, tackled health inequalities, and drove meaningful behaviour change.

Execution and Marketing Results
Before this campaign, there were no targeted communications or creative assets promoting AAA Screening- particularly nothing tailored to harder-to-reach groups. There was no existing brand presence, toolkit, or outreach framework to build from. ICE was therefore tasked with creating a campaign and all supporting materials from scratch.

Our communications strategy aimed to increase awareness and uptake of AAA Screening among men aged 65+, particularly from underserved groups: men living in areas of high deprivation, minority ethnic backgrounds, or in care settings. The strategy was rooted in insight, co-created with the people we need to engage, refined through rigorous testing, and adapted continuously using real-time data. ICE then utilised a three-pronged campaign approach: social media, out-of-home (OOH) advertising, and community engagement.


Toolkit&Concept Testing
ICE co-creatied literature and collaborating with patients and AAA providers to shape nine messaging ideas across three visual concepts. These were tested with NHS leads, AAA providers, and the public, including men aged 65+ and their families. Testing took place in four high-footfall locations (Crewe/Liverpool/Hyndburn/Kendal) and via SurveyMonkey, capturing demographic data. Feedback was collated into a presentation and shared with NHS teams, guiding the final concept development and first-ever AAA communications toolkit.



SocialMedia
ICE ran an 8-week paid social campaign (29 Jan–26 Mar 2025) on Facebook and Instagram, marking AAA’s first digital marketing push. While targeting men aged 65+, ICE also targeted family members and carers who could pass on the message.
Assets were A/B tested and optimised across two 4-week rounds. Round 1 reached 1.1M people, generated 2.46M views, and 2,334 clicks. Round 2 reached 1.76M people, delivering 3.62M views and 3.61M impressions. Overall, the campaign reached over 2M people, with 6M+ views, 6,452 link clicks, and a 1.2% CTR, surpassing health industry benchmarks.

OOH
ICE placed digital billboards in nine high-priority locations (based on screening uptake data), generating 192,746 impressions(12.4% above the target), maximising visibility and awareness in low-uptake areas.

CommunityEngagement
Rather than focusing solely on face-to-face delivery, ICE used email, LinkedIn, and phone outreach to engage over 40 organisations, including MerseyCare and Andy’s Man Club. This grassroots-level engagement helped extend campaign reach.
Our ambition was to close awareness and engagement gaps- and the data shows strong cut-through with 22,946 various materials ordered in total.

These outcomes were delivered on a modest budget of £36,050, demonstrating strong value for money through an audience-first and adaptive strategy with ongoing recommendations to sustain momentum.

NHS Results
This initiative demonstrated significant improvements in awareness and engagement for AAA screening, with increase in AAA Screening bookings and setting a strong foundation for future efforts aimed at increasing screening uptake.
The multi-channel campaign reached over 2 million people, generating 6 million views across paid social, out-of-home (OOH) placements, and grassroots engagement. The social campaign alone delivered 6,452 clicks with a 1.2% CTR—more than double the health sector’s average—thanks to real-time optimisation and A/B testing. Digital billboards in nine low-uptake areas produced 192,746 impressions, 12.4% above target. Over 40 organisations, including MerseyCare, Age UK and Andy’s Man Club, supported local outreach. This ensured the messaging was community-driven and relevant, sparking conversations and improving trust in the call to action.
Quantitative impact:
• 39% increase in self-referrals reported by one AAA provider since the campaign launched in January 2025, with 25 referrals recorded over a three-month period compared to 18 in the three months prior.
• Another AAA provider reported a 15% increase in appointment uptake since the campaign launched in January 2025, rising from 58% in December 2024 to 73% in April 2025. Also, reported a 15% reduction in DNA (Did Not Attend) rate, falling from 42% in December 2024 to 27% in April 2025.
• GPs reported higher engagement: “We’ve had more enquiries and the resources were very useful.”
• Councils saw increased calls and emails after sharing the campaign in local news.

AAA admin team:
“In relation to the advertising campaign, we have definitely had increased enquiries from gents who had already had their screening done... I have also spoken to a lot more GPs asking how/who they can refer to us.”

GP feedback:
Resources given to GPs across C&M including GP information sheet; GP staff have commented they have found this very useful and informative.

Sefton Council:
Issued an article in the Sefton News after receiving the campaign materials, following this there were an increased number of phone/email queries.

Programme management:
“Really appreciated the engagement from ICE right from the start of the whole process...Our whole team felt enabled to comment on and ask for what we knew would be needed or useful to both our patients and the professionals we work with.”

“The resources are excellent, the bespoke guide for front line staff who are the first point of contact have been well received.”

“The posters in other languages are helpful for advertising in surgeries where there is a wider diverse population.”
Screening team:
“I did see it myself on the screens around the trust. So hopefully that brings awareness to staff and some patients who've been into the Hospital for other reasons.”

“The A4 size posters are really good. The colours make a change from what you usually see on health posters.”

While screening uptake data is still being collected, the campaign has already had a measurable impact on public awareness, engagement, and understanding of AAA screening.