Dive Brief:

• WeightWatchers debuted its first work from Ogilvy fresh off of naming the WPP shop its global creative agency of record, per details shared with Marketing Dive.
• The campaign, “Fits You,” aims to break the weight-loss narrative of tying health to a single number. Ads directed by C Prinz spotlight testimonials from real WeightWatchers users, who emphasize perks of the platform, like the ability to connect with clinicians. 
• The creative agency switch up follows a period of turbulence for the brand amid the rise of GLP-1 medications like Ozempic. Oprah Winfrey, who acted as a public face for the company for years, departed its board after nearly a decade earlier this year.

Dive Insight:

WeightWatchers has experienced volatility as dieting culture comes under sharper scrutiny and more consumers turn to blockbuster medications that aid with weight loss, such as Ozempic and Wegovy. The company began offering anti-obesity drugs, known as GLP-1s, late last year, around the same time Oprah revealed to People magazine that she had started taking an unspecified weight-loss medication.

New commercials in the “Fits You” campaign from Ogilvy feature a customer who describes using a mix of WeightWatchers programming and weight-loss drugs available through WeightWatchers Clinic to achieve life-changing results. Ogilvy announced the AOR appointment late last week. Gut Miami previously handled the brand’s creative, though that relationship lasted less than a year.

Oprah’s resignation from WeightWatchers’ board, a decision she claims was made to avoid a conflict of interest, has dealt a serious blow to the business. Along with serving on the board for nearly 10 years, the talk-show icon was its long-standing public champion, appearing in ad campaigns that helped drive up subscriber numbers. 

“Fits You” refreshes WeightWatchers’ marketing approach as it vies for a new chapter. Messaging is meant to challenge conventional weight-loss narratives and avoid associating overall health with the single number of someone’s weight, instead pushing more personal stories. WeightWatchers is well-known for a points system that helps users track what they’re eating in relation to their weight-loss goals. 

WeightWatchers previous attempts to market its push into GLP-1s have been met with some controversy. The brand sponsored a GLP-1 house for influencers earlier this year that received social media backlash, including parody videos, Bloomberg reported. 

WeightWatchers’ stock started trading below $1 earlier this month after the company missed Wall Street’s expectations on revenue in the second quarter and cut its full-year guidance. The brand, which also does business as WW International, saw revenue drop 10.9% year over year to $202.1 million in Q2 while subscribers declined 6.1% YoY. WeightWatchers in the earnings report announced a restructuring plan that aims to cut costs by $100 million annually. 

“With a rapidly changing landscape, we are taking decisive actions to navigate through this environment and completely reimagining how we operate,” said CEO Sima Sistani in a statement attached to the earnings report. “We are executing a significant streamlining of our operational structure, to focus and execute against our strategic pillars to expand care, expand access, and expand payment options for our members.”