Erlanger Health
Believe Bash 2026
An integrated storytelling campaign created for Erlanger Health's 10th-anniversary Believe Bash, supporting the most successful fundraising event in the organization's history.
Services
Strategic Planning, Brand Messaging, Creative Direction, Copywriting, Video Production
BACKGROUND
Erlanger Health is a nationally recognized, multi-hospital health system anchored by the UT College of Medicine Chattanooga, serving more than two million people annually across Southeast Tennessee, Northwest Georgia, and Western North Carolina. Founded with a single $5,000 gift in 1891, Erlanger has spent more than 130 years caring for the region through innovation, education, and patient care.
Presented by First Horizon, Believe Bash is Erlanger's flagship philanthropic event, bringing together donors, community leaders, physicians, board members, and employees in support of the health system's mission. The 2026 event marked the gala's 10th anniversary, creating an opportunity to celebrate Erlanger's history while casting a vision for its future.
THE CHALLENGE
The 2026 Believe Bash centered on a strategic theme: Building on Erlanger's Past for a Better Tomorrow. While the event marked the gala's 10th anniversary and celebrated more than 130 years of care, Erlanger's leadership wanted the milestone to do more than reflect on the past. The campaign needed to position Erlanger as a health system actively shaping the future of healthcare across the region.
The creative direction needed to:
Deliver a forward-looking narrative that energized the event's opening moment
Honor Erlanger's legacy of innovation and community impact without relying on nostalgia
Establish the emotional tone for the evening and transition seamlessly into the CEO's presentation
Generate campaign assets that would continue creating value across digital channels and post-event communications
THE APPROACH
We were engaged for the second consecutive year to produce the opening film for Believe Bash. Our partnership with Erlanger's marketing leadership, including the Creative Director and VP of Marketing Communications, began in January 2026 and continued through final delivery in May.
The creative concept was built around a central DNA metaphor, connecting the science of precision medicine with the mission embedded in Erlanger's identity. The theme video balanced future-facing innovation with grounded human storytelling through a four-act structure.
As the project developed, the scope expanded beyond the opening film into an integrated event campaign. Working alongside Erlanger's marketing team, we produced three event-night assets: the theme video, a patient story film, and an employee spotlight. Each asset was built with post-event reuse in mind, ensuring the strongest moments could continue creating value long after the event ended.
THEMatic Film
Built around the campaign's four-act DNA metaphor, the theme film opened the evening, established its emotional tone, and transitioned directly into Erlanger's CEO presentation. The piece connected Erlanger's legacy of innovation with its vision for the future, positioning the organization not as a health system reflecting on its past, but as one actively shaping what's next.
The Story
A short-documentary film featuring three patients whose lives were shaped by Erlanger. Delivered as a full 10-minute film for the event broadcast, it became one of the evening's most impactful pieces and remains one of the most frequently referenced assets in client feedback.
Following the event, each patient's story was further developed into a standalone film, extending the value of the original project and creating additional content for future use. The individual patient stories are featured below.
Honoring Service
A spotlight on Erlanger employees who are also U.S. veterans and active-duty military members, captured while volunteering at a local Medal of Honor event in Chattanooga. The film honors the people whose commitment to service extends beyond healthcare and reflects the values that define Erlanger's culture.
The Story, Extended
The campaign was designed to continue well beyond the event itself. Three patient stories from the feature film were developed into standalone short films, creating a library of content for social media, email campaigns, and future storytelling initiatives.
To extend the campaign's reach even further, four 30-second broadcast and digital spots were created from the theme film, allowing Erlanger to carry the message into additional channels and audiences long after Believe Bash concluded.
THE CREATIVE CONCEPT THAT TOOK ROOT.
THE CREATIVE CONCEPT THAT TOOK ROOT.
The challenge was not simply to celebrate ten years of Believe Bash or more than 130 years of Erlanger history. It was to connect the organization's legacy to its future.
We developed a creative framework built around a DNA metaphor, linking Erlanger's history of innovation with the next generation of care. The concept provided a consistent narrative thread across the campaign and helped transform a milestone event from a retrospective into a forward-looking statement about where the organization is headed.
The metaphor worked on multiple levels. It connected directly to Erlanger's growing focus on precision medicine while also reflecting something deeper: the idea that innovation, service, and community impact are part of the organization's identity. Not initiatives. Not campaigns. Part of its DNA.
By anchoring the campaign in a single strategic idea, every asset could reinforce the same message while serving a different purpose, from the opening film and patient stories to post-event content and broadcast spots.
The Outcome
The theme film opened the evening. The patient stories provided its emotional center. The employee spotlight honored the people behind the mission. Together, the campaign helped establish the tone for a record-breaking Believe Bash and reinforced the vision Erlanger shared with donors, community leaders, and supporters throughout the evening.
$2,328,800
Raised in a single evening, making Believe Bash 2026 the most successful philanthropic event in Chattanooga history.
$1.83M
Raised in a single evening, making Believe Bash 2026 the most successful philanthropic event in Chattanooga history.
$550,000
Largest single donation to Erlanger Children's Hospital in Believe Bash history, supporting the renovation of the Children's Emergency Department.
1,000+
Donors, community leaders, physicians, employees, and supporters in attendance.
Long-Term Partnerships, Not One-Off Projects
Believe Bash 2026 marked our second consecutive year supporting Erlanger's flagship fundraising event. Today, the partnership continues through additional strategic, creative, and digital initiatives designed to help the organization communicate its mission and serve the communities that depend on it.