As GLP-1 medications become increasingly mainstream, digital health platform Noom is betting on psychology-backed behavior change as its biggest competitive advantage in a crowded space.
That strategy underpins “Lose For Keeps,” the company’s new campaign fronted by actor Rebel Wilson.
Created by Mekanism, the campaign argues that lasting weight loss comes from combining GLP-1 medication with healthier habits. As Noom looks for an edge in the market, it is “putting our flag down in the conversation and differentiating who we are,” said chief brand officer Rachel Mahoney.
Somewhere between the diet culture of the early 2000s and today’s GLP-1 boom, Noom emerged as a fresh take on weight loss, offering online coaching and customized plans designed to change people’s mindsets about their health. The launch of Noom Med in 2023 marked its first entry into GLP-1s, combining its psychology-backed behavior-change program with FDA-approved appetite-suppressing drugs before later expanding into compounded alternatives.
As 12% of Americans now use a GLP-1 drug, up from 6% in 2024, Noom has ridden the market’s rapid growth, with J.P. Morgan forecasting it will reach $200 billion by 2030. It was during this transition that Mahoney joined the digital health and wellness platform as chief brand officer in 2024.
“Last year was about getting people to know that we now offer GLP-1s,” Mahoney said. “As access has become easier and more affordable, the conversation has changed from, ‘Can I get access to the meds?’ to ‘How do I keep the weight off and use them as a catalyst for driving long-term health?'”
With Wilson, who serves as Noom’s chief wellness ambassador, the latest campaign uses metaphors to make the case that GLP-1 medication and healthy habits work better together.
Two TV spots, “Training Wheels” and “Mute Button,” compare injections to riding a bike with training wheels and describe GLP-1s as a mute button for food noise. On social, the brand extends the idea with metaphors comparing weight loss to a roller coaster and a game of ping-pong.
“We wanted to make sure the campaign felt playful, low-pressure, sharp, unfiltered, and different from the rest of the category, where pharma advertising is much more heavy-handed and based in fear,” said Vidhi Shah, executive creative director at Mekanism.
The script was written as a starting point so Wilson’s authentic voice could come through.
“She was involved in the creative process, and we left room for improvisation,” Shah said. “She would give us her one-liners and witty comebacks.”
Ad wars
As the GLP-1 market gets more crowded, the ad wars are heating up between digital health startups such as Noom, Ro and Hims & Hers, which sell compounded alternatives, and FDA-approved manufacturers such as Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly.
Compounded drug providers have largely focused on affordability, with monthly prices averaging $150 to $450 compared with roughly $900 to $1,350 for branded medications. Last year, Noom announced its compounded offering with a Wall Street Journal ad claiming U.S. GLP-1 prices were five times higher than they should be.
Noom took a swipe at other GLP-1 brands and policymakers in a full-page WSJ ad
Hims & Hers also sparked controversy when a pharmaceutical industry trade group and two senators attempted to block its Super Bowl ad criticizing GLP-1 pricing.
Meanwhile, FDA-approved manufacturers have pushed back by emphasizing safety. Ozempic maker Novo Nordisk ran a print ad urging people to “Check Before You Inject,” while Mounjaro and Zepbound manufacturer Eli Lilly called for “Healthy Skepticism” during the 97th Academy Awards.
In response, Mahoney said Noom’s position has remained consistent.
“It’s about giving people options, whether that’s pricing, dosing or form factor, and combining that with the behavior program to produce long-term results,” she said. “From a brand perspective, we’ve stood firm, followed the market and always been in compliance.”
Fighting stigma
While business is booming in the U.S., weight-loss medication still carries a stigma. Some believe it’s cheating, while others remain concerned about the risks and side effects, particularly when the drugs are used by people without an obesity diagnosis. Noom has also faced criticism over its own messaging, including backlash to its “The Clean Plate Club” campaign in 2022 that critics claimed promoted diet culture.
Mahoney believes attitudes are changing.
“If you ask most people, they know someone who is on a GLP-1. It’s becoming less of an issue and more normalized,” she said. “It’s more about how I relate to the idea that my weight loss is a journey and whether I’m invested in finding something that helps me in the long term.”
That relatability also shaped the creative approach.
“We look for these little moments and situations people can immediately relate to,” Shah said. “What gets you off track isn’t an amazing brownie sundae. It’s your kids’ dino nuggets. We’re very intentional about behaving differently from a pharma brand. There’s a lightness and casualness to the jokes.”
Noom ultimately wants to become the go-to platform for health.
“Weight loss has been the core because, for most people, that’s where they start. But it’s about how we can help people get healthy for the long term, or even prevent issues,” Mahoney said. “Whether that takes us into different verticals in heart health or other spaces, we’ll continue to expand our app offering. Diagnostics has become a bigger part of the platform.”
