ARE YOU CHRIS?

TitleARE YOU CHRIS?
BrandGILEAD
Product/ServiceAWARENESS
Category F02. Non-Regulated
Entrant DDB REMEDY London, UNITED KINGDOM
Idea Creation DDB REMEDY London, UNITED KINGDOM
Credits
Name Company Position
Martin Hafley DDB Remedy Executive Creative Director
James Boomsma DDB Remedy Senior Art Director
Leighton Davies DDB Remedy Creative Lead
Hanri Le Roux DDB Remedy Creative Lead
David Hogan DDB Remedy Associate Creative Director
Zara Kemp DDB Remedy Account Lead
Frances Griffin DDB Remedy Account Manager
Conkerco Academy Films Directors
Academy Films Academy Films Production Company
Tally Parr DDB Remedy Producer

Describe any restrictions or regulations regarding Healthcare/RX/Pharma communications in your country/region including

We worked closely with local regulatory bodies, including patient groups and liver specialists, to ensure our messaging was scientifically accurate, and realistic around the availability of cure.

Describe the target audience and why your work is relevant to them. Pharma audience types:

Our target audience is very broad. As an example, it includes anyone who has had unprotected sex, shared a razor blade or had a tattoo in an unsterilized environment. It is relevant to our target because we highlight that anyone could have contracted Hepatitis C without realizing.

Background

500,000 people die annually from Hep C related diseases. 75% of people living with Hep C don't know they have it, and the disease can be symptomless for over 20 years. In the general population, many are unaware of associated risk factors and therefore of the possibility of having contracted the disease. Our brief was to raise awareness in order to destigmatise Hep C, highlighting how easy it is for anyone to contract. Our communications objective was to encourage the audience to get tested, and reassure them that it's curable.

Why is this work relevant for Direct?

We needed to reach a wide cross-section of the general population to achieve our goal. Using a direct response mechanism was the best way to ensure our message connected, and that we drove people in for testing, and on to cure.

Describe the creative idea

We created an awareness film to normalise and destigmatise Hepatitis C, highlighting how easy it is for anyone to contract. We encourage the audience to get tested, and reassure them that it is now curable. Our story follows Chris, an average guy on his daily commute home from work. His journey takes a strange turn when, while crossing the road, Chris mistakes a stranger for himself. He begins to have more intense visions, encountering vivid memories of his younger self. Chris panics as the scenarios become more visceral. As he tries to flee from his past, Chris begins to realise the connection. His previous decisions left him at risk of contracting a life-threatening disease. He is left considering; "Could I have been exposed to hepatitis C?"

Describe the execution

A 30 second edit of the film ran on television at peak times for 6 months, with the full length cut placed online to maximise reach.

Describe the strategy

Market research dictates that a lack of public knowledge of HCV, the fact that people can live with HCV for up to 20 years without showing symptoms, and the stigma remaining around the disease prevents people from seeking treatment. Our target audience were the ‘Undiagnosed’; those unaware that they may have the virus, and possibly unaware or misinformed about HCV. The strategic objective was to encourage the general public to reconsider HCV, reflect on whether they could have contracted the virus, and get tested. The key takeaway from research was that stigma remained a significant barrier. A concerted effort was made to explain that HCV could be caught through risk factors the audience could relate to, such as unsterile tattoos or body piercings, challenging their preconceptions about the disease. Our emotive film was deliberately designed to drive audiences to the campaign website and encourage testing.

List the results

Within the launch market - Germany - 1 in 3 viewers initiated conversations around the content viewed, and 56% of viewers learnt something new from the film. Most importantly, HCV testing increased by 62%.