York Woodford-Smith | July 27, 2021
Sunrise Senior Living and Gracewell Healthcare were Five on a Bike’s first clients within the care sector, and undoubtedly the partnership that made us fall in love with care.
Over 6 years of working together, the Five on a Bike team filmed in all 46 of their homes, capturing each one’s unique personality through video tours, case study videos, and reassurance pieces.
Five on a Bike began its relationship with Sunrise and Gracewell by creating emotive case studies to support their marketing process. We aimed to capture the attention of potential residents and their families by telling real-life stories of existing residents. Even now, we believe this type of video remains one of the most powerful tools a care home or group can use in marketing.
Sunrise and Gracewell also created the ‘Heart and Soul Awards’ to recognise their teams across the country. From 2016 onwards, Five on a Bike travelled to homes nationwide to film nomination videos and staff highlights, showcasing incredible achievements and impact.
From personal stories to outstanding performance, the focus of these videos was to capture genuine emotion from both those giving and receiving awards. It was important to highlight how significant these awards were within Sunrise Senior Living and Gracewell Healthcare as recognition of exemplary care and going above and beyond for residents.
In 2018, we began filming video tours across all 46 homes in the UK. Over the following 18 months, we created a series of detailed tours focused on each home’s unique selling points, capturing meaningful interactions between staff and residents, and showcasing luxury facilities.
These tours were designed to be the primary content on each home’s webpage. We focused on capturing the best features of each location, from engaging activities and day trips to beautiful grounds and facilities. The videos were extremely well received and continue to be a key feature of each homepage.
In 2019, Sunrise Senior Living, Gracewell Healthcare, and Five on a Bike collaborated on a series of food-focused videos. With three videos per home showcasing starters, mains, and desserts, the goal was to capture the attention of potential residents and stimulate their appetite.
Inspired by the popularity of platforms like Tasty and BuzzFeed Food at the time, we used overhead shots and close-up visuals to create highly engaging, mouth-watering content.
In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the world. Sunrise, Gracewell, and the Five on a Bike team quickly produced reassurance videos highlighting the strict safety measures in place to protect residents. As the media often portrayed the care sector negatively, we wanted to showcase the incredible work happening behind the scenes.
During the pandemic, Sunrise and Gracewell also launched a viral campaign to highlight positivity within their homes. Together, we wrote a poem and created content to show how carers were not only protecting residents but also bringing joy and excitement to their daily lives during lockdown.
By combining social media clips, TikTok-style content, and previously filmed footage, we created an emotive and engaging campaign titled #CelebrateCareHomes. The video received over 5,000 views on YouTube alone, with many more across social platforms, and remains a project we are especially proud of.
With every new development across Sunrise and Gracewell homes, from COVID-safe spaces to refurbishments, Five on a Bike created introduction videos and updates. Over time, we learned that including resident interviews added authenticity and trust, as firsthand experiences provided powerful, honest validation.
Five on a Bike also worked closely with HR teams to create internal communications content, including CEO messages, policy updates, and recruitment videos. During the pandemic, we used existing footage to quickly produce recruitment content, which performed so well that we later returned to film dedicated recruitment campaigns in the homes.
In Spring 2021, Sunrise and Gracewell launched the “New Dawn New Day” campaign. Five on a Bike created a dynamic video focused on renewal, optimism, and moving forward. The goal was to inspire confidence in care and highlight the continued commitment to resident safety and wellbeing.
As restrictions eased in 2021, families were welcomed back into homes. We shifted from COVID reassurance content to broader reassurance videos, showcasing everyday life, activities, and events, reinforcing that the homes remained vibrant, safe, and welcoming.
We’ve loved every moment of working with Sunrise Senior Living and Gracewell Healthcare. From marketing campaigns and recruitment projects to navigating the pandemic together, it has been an incredible journey. We’re excited for the future and grateful for the role they played in shaping our passion for the care sector.
