NorthShore Wins Gold at the 2026 Healthcare Marketing Impact Awards for Campaign Challenging Incontinence Stigma

Ad Age and Modern Healthcare name NorthShore's "Ending Health Stigma" a Purpose-Led Campaign of the Year, honoring work that put the words ADULT DIAPERS on billboards, baseball radio, and national TV.

GREEN OAKS, Ill., Nov. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- NorthShore Adult Diapers^® has won Gold for Purpose-Led Campaign of the Year in the 2026 Healthcare Marketing Impact Awards, presented by Ad Age and Modern Healthcare. NorthShore took the top honor among suppliers, vendors, and pharmaceutical companies for "Ending Health Stigma," a campaign that set out to make incontinence—and the adult diapers people use to manage it—something that can be talked about openly and without shame. The campaign launched in January 2026 and was created in-house.

In its coverage of the win, Ad Age noted that the campaign pushes the incontinence category to put performance ahead of discretion.

"We're grateful to Ad Age and Modern Healthcare for this recognition, because every time adult diapers are talked about openly, more people realize they aren't alone," said Adam J. Greenberg, Founder and CEO of NorthShore. "People want their life back, and protection they can trust is often what gets them there. Every person who stops planning their day around leaks is proof that management isn't failure but freedom. Helping more people find that freedom is why NorthShore exists."

An Integrated Campaign Built on Visibility

Incontinence carries a double stigma. People often feel ashamed of the condition and of the adult diapers they use to manage it, and that silence keeps many of them from seeking help. According to the National Association for Continence (NAFC), people wait an average of around six years before talking to a doctor about bladder leaks. For decades, the incontinence category has answered that shame with euphemisms and thin, discreet products — most of them made for light bladder leaks. That leaves people with Heavy Bladder Leaks (HBL) relying on protection that was never built for them. NorthShore took a different path. It makes adult diapers specifically for HBL, and its integrated "Ending Health Stigma" campaign rests on a simple idea: the more people see and hear the words "adult diapers," the less power stigma has.

Every channel put incontinence in plain view and talked about it openly. The campaign proudly showcased real customer stories, placed "ADULT DIAPERS" in large font on billboards across the country, sponsored thrilling moments on professional baseball radio, and challenged the myth that thinner is better in its first national TV commercial. As stigma loosens, people feel empowered to seek help, find the protection they need, and get back to living full lives, so they can focus on life, not leaks.

Inside NorthShore's "Ending Health Stigma" Campaign

• NorthShore Hero Club™ invites customers and caregivers to share the triumphs, setbacks, and everyday realities of living with incontinence, and has received more than 500 story submissions.
• Care Crew, a brand ambassador program featuring longtime customers and Hero Club members who create ongoing content grounded in their own lives.
• 14 billboards across seven U.S. markets displayed the words ADULT DIAPERS in large, unapologetic type.
• Season-long radio sponsorships with seven professional baseball teams, plus Boston radio programming, talked openly about adult diapers and bladder control without making anyone managing incontinence the punchline.
• "The Golden Age of Thin" was NorthShore's first national TV commercial. It challenged the idea that thinner is better when thin products still leak. The spot drew on NorthShore-commissioned research from PDG Insights, in which more than 90% of incontinence-product buyers said they would choose staying dry over a thinner, more discreet product. It launched online in June 2026 and expanded to national cable in July on CNBC, CNN, and Fox News.
• NorthShore's Day Out brought more than 40 Hero Club members and Care Crew ambassadors to Chicago across two weekends this summer. Each gathering included an architecture cruise, a Cubs game, a facility tour, and hands-on workshops with the NorthShore team.

For anyone managing incontinence, or caring for someone who is, support is easy to find at NorthShore.com, with adult diapers, incontinence supplies, sizing guidance, plus NorthShore Care Experts available seven days a week.

About NorthShore Adult Diapers

NorthShore® is the only brand of adult diapers and incontinence supplies designed specifically for heavy bladder leaks (HBL), reducing nighttime changes and worry about leaks.

NorthShore is a mission-driven consumer healthcare company dedicated to empowering people to live with the freedom and dignity they deserve. The company serves individuals who have been overlooked by mainstream brands and underserved by a culture that treats incontinence as something to hide.

Founded in 2002 by Adam J. Greenberg, NorthShore has grown to become one of the most trusted brands in premium incontinence products, helping over 3 million individuals, their loved ones, and caregivers. Customers regularly share stories of how NorthShore helped them return to work, sleep through the night, travel confidently, or fully re-engage with family and community life.

Through innovative absorbent products, transparent language, empathetic customer service, and an inclusive community, NorthShore is redefining what it means to live confidently with incontinence.

SOURCE NorthShore Adult Diapers