Retailer Hy-Vee Names Ogilvy as Strategic and Creative Partner for its Suite of Health Brands

NEW YORK - February 20, 2024 - Ogilvy today announced its appointment as strategic and creative partner for Hy-Vee's health brands which includes RedBox Rx, Vivid Clear Rx, Amber Specialty Pharmacy and Hy-Vee Health Infusion Care. The account will be led by Ogilvy Health and leverage retail expertise from across Ogilvy's network, including creative, strategy and customer experience, as well as Ogilvy Consulting's Behavioral Science practice. Ogilvy will work at the intersection of these capabilities to elevate the portfolio of brands and deliver an innovative customer experience across all touchpoints.

Hy-Vee is uniquely positioned to leverage its community-based grocery stores and pharmacies with new custom-built health experiences for convenient and low-cost health delivery. This includes featuring personalized appointments with dietitians either online or in-store and promoting the company's clinical and wellness services. This partnership comes at a time when Hy-Vee is building out additional digital offerings at the national level to expand its health care programs.

Anna Stoermer, CMO for Hy-Vee, Inc.: "Hy-Vee believes that health and wellness is a vital part of how we serve communities now and into the future. Ogilvy's in-depth health care experience will support our future growth in this area so we can best support Hy-Vee's mission to make lives easier, healthier and happier."

Kim Johnson, CEO Ogilvy Health: "There are few U.S. brands as trusted or favored by consumers as Hy-Vee - and it's no surprise why when you look at how Hy-Vee invests so significantly in increasing health care accessibility and promoting healthy lifestyles. Together, we'll work to ensure that the Hy-Vee customer experience people have come to know and love is prepared to meet the next-level needs and expectations of today's consumers. Ogilvy is proud to partner with Hy-Vee on its growing suite of retail-based and digital health brands and services, and meeting people where they are and in ways that matter to them the most."

For more than 50 years, Hy-Vee has operated retail pharmacies with more than 275 locations currently across eight Midwestern states. Most recently, the retailer opened its first two Hy-Vee Health infusion clinics, offering referral-based treatments for rheumatology, gastroenterology, pulmonary, dermatology, oncology and other chronic conditions, provided by licensed physicians and nurses. Prior to the infusion clinics, the retailer introduced telehealth and online pharmacy provider RedBox Rx, and pharmacy benefit manager Vivid Clear Rx. Since 2014, Hy-Vee has operated Amber Specialty Pharmacy, an award-winning specialty pharmacy provider serving patients with complex conditions across the United States. Hy-Vee also operates the free VCRx prescription discount card, which helps patients save up to 80% on medications at more than 35,000 pharmacies nationwide. The retailer has invested heavily in other health and wellness areas by employing a team of registered dietitians and creating a free educational program for children called Hy-Vee KidsFit that promotes physical activity and healthy lifestyle habits. Hy-Vee is one of only a handful of retailers in the nation to operate its own fleet of mobile health units in an effort to provide greater health care accessibility throughout the communities it serves.

In 2023, Ogilvy was recognized as the most creative and most effective agency network in the world, ranking #1 on WARC's Creative 100 and Effective 100 lists. The WARC 100 lists act as an industry benchmark for success based on results from the most prestigious global and regional industry competitions. Additionally, Ogilvy was named Network of the Year by both the Clio Awards and The One Show. Ogilvy was also named to Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies list for its effective use of AI to drive business results and most recently named Creative Network of the Year by Campaign magazine for the second consecutive year, an honor given by a select group of marketers with the process audited by PwC.

About Hy-Vee, Inc.

Hy-Vee Inc. is an employee-owned corporation operating more than 550 business units across eight Midwestern states with sales of more than $13 billion annually. The company is synonymous with quality, variety, convenience, healthy lifestyles, culinary expertise and superior customer service. Hy-Vee ranks in the Top 5 Most Trusted Brands. The company's more than 75,000 employees provide "A Helpful Smile in Every Aisle" to customers every day. For additional information, visit www.hy-vee.com.

About Ogilvy

Ogilvy inspires brands and people to impact the world. We have been creating iconic, culture-changing, value-driving ideas for clients since David Ogilvy founded the company in 1948. We continue building on that rich legacy through our borderless creativity-operating, innovating, and creating at the intersection of talent and capabilities. Our experts in Advertising, Experience, Public Relations, Health, and Consulting work fluidly across more than 120 offices in over 80 countries to bring forth world-class creative solutions for our clients. Ogilvy is a WPP company (NYSE: WPP). For more information, visit Ogilvy.com, and follow us on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and Facebook.

Media Contacts: Kappie Kopp / [email protected]