WeightWatchers Taps Meta Marketer and Ogilvy to Keep Pace Amid GLP-1 Boom

WeightWatchers (also known as WW) has tapped ex-Meta marketer Christina Kothari as global vp of brand and integrated marketing, and enlisted Ogilvy as its global creative agency of record (AOR).

The 61-year-old company is initiating a business and brand transformation, rethinking its positioning in a weight loss market upended by the rise of GLP-1 anti-obesity drugs including Ozempic.

The change marks the second AOR appointment for WeightWatchers in 10 months. In November 2023, the brand handed creative duties to Gut Miami, having previously worked with Anomaly and Maximum Effort on a project basis.

Best known for its customized points system that governs daily food intake, WeightWatchers has evolved in recent years to offer personalized weight loss programs and an app that provides guidance from coaches as well as recipes.

In 2023, it launched WeightWatchers GLP-1, a subscription program focused on the health and nutrition needs of patients using Ozempic and Wegovy, two brands of semaglutide, a diabetes drug that has exploded in popularity for its effectiveness in helping people lose weight.

It also debuted WeightWatchers Clinic, which gives subscribers access to telehealth weight management and doctors who can prescribe weight loss medications.

By 2035, Morgan Stanley Research estimates that 24 million people, or 7% of the population, could be using such drugs.

Kothari told ADWEEK the business was evolving in line with this trend, combining its traditional behavior change products with long-term medication.

“That was a transformation I wanted to be part of,” she said. “Educating consumers on a new offering is always a challenge. It’s a complex space, and these medications are new to consumers.”

Kothari’s arrival from Meta, where she was head of consumer integrated campaigns, follows the exit of WeightWatchers CMO Amanda Tolleson, who left in June after close to two years with the business.

The brief to Ogilvy was to reintroduce WeightWatchers’ whole portfolio.

“Points haven’t gone away, they’re still the cornerstone of our business,” said Kothari. She wanted Ogilvy to focus on the unique journey each of its 5 million members and highlight the range of solutions the brand has on offer to help them, whether it’s prescriptions for diabetics or tailored food plans for menopausal women.

From weight loss to weight health

The result is “Fits You,” which features real customers and focuses on their personal journeys to reach what Kothari describes as “weight health.” The simple videos end by showcasing the four services the brand offers: points, doctors, medications and dietitians.

“We wanted to reshape this old narrative and culture that weight loss is about willpower,” said Ogilvy president Darla Price. “We felt like there was an opportunity to leverage WeightWatchers as a 60-year-old, iconic brand and help it evolve from a consumer engagement and culture perspective.”

The ads launch in the same week WeightWatchers reported a 4% drop in quarterly profits and an 11% decline in sales for the most recent quarter, announcing a $100 million annual cost-cutting, which includes 40% of its senior executive positions.

Its latest campaign follows a controversial influencer-fronted push in February. The brand kitted out a Los Angeles mansion as GLP-1 House to promote its new prescription service. However, “Fits You” strips things back to basics.

Kothari said brand awareness and consideration would be key KPIs, along with subscriber growth.

For Ogilvy chief creative officer Samira Ansari, the campaign builds on previous WeightWatchers campaigns featuring members. “We took that and expanded the aperture a little bit,” she explained.

“Once the education portion is done, we can push it further for sure,” she added.