The Victorian Department of Health, in partnership with creative agency Showpony, has officially launched ‘Let’s Get Better’ – a public health campaign designed to address medical inequality and transform how women’s health is treated across the state.
The campaign is a direct response to a history of women’s health being dismissed, misunderstood, and under-researched. It’s backed by data from the Victorian Government’s landmark Bridging the Pain Gap inquiry, which revealed that 40% of Victorian women live with chronic pain, and two in three Australian women report experiencing healthcare-related gender bias or discrimination.
For generations, the healthcare system has been built around male biology. This has led to devastating access barriers, including long wait times, high costs, and delayed diagnoses – with Australian women waiting an average of seven years just to confirm an endometriosis diagnosis.
The expansion includes the establishment of 20 Women’s Health Clinics offering specialised, multidisciplinary care, an expanded network of 20 Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) Hubs statewide, and a dedicated Aboriginal Women’s Health Clinic, providing culturally safe, tailored care. To overcome geographic barriers, the program also features a Mobile Women’s Health Clinic and a Virtual Women’s Health Clinic for specialist telehealth care.
Says Simone Williams, Chief Communications Officer – Department of Health: “For too long, women’s health has been dismissed, underdiagnosed, or overlooked. Whether it’s contraception, endometriosis, menopause, abortion care, or sexual health testing, we have expanded free women’s health services so all Victorian women can access the care, answers and support they deserve.”
Recognising the personal and at times painful nature of the subject matter, Showpony approached the campaign with a deliberate, consultative strategy that placed lived experience at the centre of the creative process.
Says Ana Coelho, Head of Strategy, Showpony: “We are launching a much needed service to a very sceptical audience. The barrier wasn’t awareness, it was trust,” said Ana Coelho, Showpony Head of Strategy. “So the creative strategy couldn’t just come from research papers – it had to come from lived experience”
Says Abby Moulton, Associate Creative Director, Showpony: “We knew that to truly hit the mark with this audience, we needed a female-led creative team at the helm. It allowed us to approach the campaign with genuine empathy, stripping away clinical coldness and replacing it with relatability and validation.”
The “Let’s get better” campaign acknowledges that there was a need for improvement, prioritising broad public awareness of the growing services alongside targeted service promotion. The immediate, highest priority is ensuring women know that valid, specialised help is readily available.
Showpony’s creative approach focuses on shifting the narrative from isolation to empowerment, giving women more options, more access, and ultimately, more control over their own bodies.
The campaign is currently rolling out statewide across television, digital, social media, and out-of-home placements.
To find out more, visit the official website at betterhealth.vic.gov.au/womens-health-and-wellbeing
Women’s Health
Assoc. Creative Director: Abby Moulton
Assoc. Creative Director: Michail Paderin
Strategy: Ana Coelho
Art Director: Annika Turon-Semmens
Copywriter: Aaliyah Wattie
Producer: Vanessa Lee
Account Manager: Macey Wood
Jnr Account Manager: Andrea Quimson
Production:
Director: Aarushi Chowdhury
Head of Production: Michael Ciccone
Producer: Carla McConnell
Production Manager: Jess Chapman
1st AD: Jess O’Farrell
Director of Photography: Bonita Carzino
Gaffer: Frank Healy Wood
Production Designer: Tiffany Dias
HMUA: Emily Stacey
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