MAKING LIFE EASIER

TitleMAKING LIFE EASIER
BrandCOLOPLAST
Product/ServiceCORPORATE COMMUNICATION
Category C01. Corporate Image & Communication
Entrant ADVANCE Copenhagen, DENMARK
Idea Creation ADVANCE Copenhagen, DENMARK
Production ADVANCE Copenhagen, DENMARK
Post Production ADVANCE Copenhagen, DENMARK
Credits
Name Company Position
Fergus Kenny Advance Concept Developer / Copywriter
Thorsten Beham Advance Concept Developer /Art Director
Sofie Svarre Advance Client Director /Partner
Andrew Grant-Christensen Andrew Grant-Christensen / Trinity Agency Director Of Photography
Andreas Houmann Andreas Houmann Photographer
Jakob Petersen Advance Editor
Trine Schou Advance Executive Producer
Sune Bjørn Advance Senior Concept Developer
Cæcilie Jespersen CJ Production Associate Producer

Why is this work relevant for Branded Content & Entertainment?

We believe this work communicates a vital, distinctly personal aspect of an important corporate mission. Rather than focus on the mission’s meaning solely from the company’s perspective, it takes an outside-in approach – the profundity and relevance of the mission is established from the point of view of those whom it helps. This shows an understanding of the challenges they face and pays tribute to their courage.

Background

Coloplast’s mission is “making life easier for people with intimate healthcare needs”. It’s why one the founders, nurse Elise Sørensen, invented the first ostomy bag in 1954, and it’s still at the heart of everything they do. Today Coloplast makes life easier with medical appliances and services in the areas of ostomy care, continence care, urology care and wound care. We were tasked with helping them tell the world about this mission and in a way that was representative of all four of their business areas. There was an important stipulation: no actors could used be in place of the users of their products. We would film and photograph real users and their stories.

Describe the creative idea

The users of Coloplast products should play the starring roles in increasing awareness of the company mission. We wanted them of to revisit moments of doubt and vulnerability that resulted from their condition – moments where they questioned their situation. In contrast to traditional healthcare testimonial formats, this required that they would have to act, and so, in turn, raised many other questions such as: Would they accept the challenge? Could they achieve it? The answer was a resolute “yes”. To create even more immediacy, we wanted them to break the fourth wall and look directly at camera when asking their question. The question would be communicated as titles on screen. It was important that while film showed them at a vulnerable time, it did so respectfully and also reflected the strength they had within, a strength that would help them overcome their challenges.

Describe the strategy

The mission had to communicated for all four care areas. However, people’s physical conditions are very different across areas. i.e. a person with a stoma has different challenges than a person with a wound problem. The mission also had to be communicated to a range of stakeholders including people with a condition, their families, healthcare professionals, Coloplast employees, potential employees, health authorities and shareholders. So, rather than focus on the very particular physical nature of conditions, we would look at the other more universally relatable ways people are affected. The issues around the condition. These would include impact on self-esteem, confidence, lifestyle, family life, hobbies, ambitions and social interactions. It is Coloplast’s holistic understanding of all aspects of life with an intimate healthcare condition that equips them so well for achievement of their mission.

Describe the execution

We filmed and took photos of nine users of Coloplast products, who hailed from six different countries. Their willingness to accept and meet this challenge was both humbling and inspiring, and took us between Copenhagen, Los Angeles and Chongqing in just nine days. The process was made possible by a close collaborative relationship with the Coloplast team. The film focused on relived moments of doubt and vulnerability, the photo series focused on the positive outcomes. These materials are being used globally across all channels, including online, SoMe, congresses, seminars, shareholder meetings, sales calls, HR activities and user events.

Describe the outcome

A globally rollout of a film and photo series that enabled Coloplast to more distinctly communicate the essence of their mission both internally and externally, and across all relevant target groups. For those who work at Coloplast the communication serves as a motivating reminder of their noble mission. For healthcare professionals, people with intimate healthcare conditions and business partners, it has proven to be a direct way and effective way to learn about the intent that drives this market-leading company.