WPP and Ogilvy Health to pilot well-being wearable in Australia

In connection with World Mental Health Day yesterday, WPP Health Practice and Ogilvy Health Australia announced a partnership with a health-tech startup called BioBeats.

Volunteer employees at WPP Health Practice in London, Milan and Sydney will wear a device that collects physiological and psychological data, including heart rate variability. The pilot project will provide personalised insights and solutions via an app designed to reduce stress and improve mental health, while also delivering anonymised data that WPP Health Practice aims to use to plan future investments in well-being and mental-health support initiatives.

The device is supported by researchers from the University of Oxford and the University of Pisa, and Claire Gillis, international CEO of WPP Health Practice, said the partnership will allow the company to apply evidence-based behavioural science with an eye toward rolling out more personalised mental-health support at scale.