MAKE BLOOD CANCER VISIBLE
Title | MAKE BLOOD CANCER VISIBLE |
Brand | JANSSEN |
Product/Service | BLOOD CANCER AWARENESS |
Category |
A03. Healthcare |
Entrant
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JANSSEN High Wycombe, UNITED KINGDOM
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Idea Creation
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PUBLICIS LIFEBRANDS London, UNITED KINGDOM
|
Idea Creation 2
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PAUL COCKSEDGE STUDIO London, UNITED KINGDOM
|
Production
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PAUL COCKSEDGE STUDIO London, UNITED KINGDOM
|
Credits
Shaheed Peera |
Publicis LifeBrands |
Executive Creative Director |
Khalid Latif |
Publicis LifeBrands |
Associate Creative Director |
Jonathan Webb |
Publicis LifeBrands |
Art Director |
Paul Cocksedge |
Paul Cocksedge Studio |
Design Director |
Dimuthu Jayawardana |
Publicis LifeBrands |
Senior Planner |
Marionne Lugay |
Publicis LifeBrands |
Account Director |
Nina Tsalapatanis |
Publicis LifeBrands |
Account Director |
Katie McMorran |
Publicis LifeBrands |
Business Unit Director |
Mark Cocksedge |
Paul Cocksedge Studio |
Photographer |
Why is this work relevant for Media?
Raising awareness of blood cancer in the UK is an important issue. For maximum impact, we had to be savvy with our media approach, particularly because our budget was small. Our efforts were focused on generating as much earned media as possible. The entire creative approach had this goal in mind, hence the development of an original installation in Central London and partnering with a high-profile designer. Partnering with 9 separate patient advocacy charities would also provide a boost to both online and traditional media coverage.
Background
Public awareness and understanding of blood cancer is shockingly low despite it being the 3rd biggest cancer killer in the UK.
There are many statistics associated with the disease: 136 different types, 104 people diagnosed every day, one person diagnosed every 14 minutes. In fact, blood cancer kills more people than breast or prostate cancer every year, yet most of us don’t know much about it and wouldn’t know what symptoms to look for.
Our challenge was to get people in the UK talking about blood cancer like never before, and raise awareness of its signs and symptoms.
Describe the creative idea/insights
Health and wellness, particularly anything communicated by a pharma company to the public, is a challenging, highly regulated space. Messaging must be carefully considered, balanced and contain lots of information.
Our idea, a relevant, impactful public installation, is testament to the power of clear, simple messaging; something often underestimated in healthcare communications.
On its surface, our public awareness installation communicated one profound piece of information – 104 people are diagnosed with blood cancer every day in the UK. By creating an experience where passers-by could metaphorically stand amongst those with the disease, this key message was hard to miss.
Overall, the campaign and installation raised awareness from two separate and sometimes counterintuitive directions: humanising the different elements of a blood cancer diagnosis using emotional patient experiences, while employing facts and statistics on a real-life scale to gain social media traction and shareability.
Describe the strategy
The target audience for this piece was the general public, which includes patients and healthcare professionals alike. Public awareness and understanding of blood cancer is shockingly low despite it being the 3rd biggest cancer killer in the UK. Raising awareness of its signs and symptoms is beneficial to everyone.
Our approach was grounded in the insight that people are less likely to remember important facts (like signs and symptoms of blood cancer, how common it can be, etc) if they're presented in a leaflet. However, they're more likely to remember real stories and experiences.
That's why we decided to create a high-profile, public installation and partner with a renowned designer. We were going for a unique, impactful and creative way to highlight a simple fact, as well as drive people to understand the signs and symptoms of a disease. A disease that's manageable if caught early enough.
Describe the execution
Together with a high-profile designer, we created a typographical forest of 104 names (104 people are diagnosed with blood cancer every day in the UK).
Each represented a real patient living with blood cancer. Every sculpture was perfectly sized to match the height of the person they symbolised.
The arrangement reflected patterns that occur when people gather in crowds, and the recurring typeface emphasised shared experiences.
Every name had a real story to tell. Plaques on each name told stories of determination, hope and success. Two separate structures detailed the signs and symptoms of blood cancer and directed people to a website.
They stood in Paternoster Square outside St Paul’s Cathedral in London for 30 days, which drew attention from the public and media. The work was officially part of London Design Festival and presented at the V&A Museum. A launch event provided an initial boost to the coverage.
List the results
- 292 million people reached online and in press
- 1.2 million visitors to the exhibition
- 1 million video views on the BBC
- 500% increase in coverage from Blood Cancer Awareness week 2016
- 9 patient support groups involved
- 1 article in The Lancet, one of the world's oldest, most prestigious medical journals
- In January 2018, the campaign and installation was cited as an example of best practise in the first report of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Blood Cancer
- In September 2018, during Prime Minister’s Questions, Henry Smith MP called on UK Prime Minister Teresa May to make blood cancer visible
- The work was also presented at the Global Design Forum at the V&A Museum during London Design Week 2017