“MS in Harmony” (Bristol Myers Squibb, Ogilvy Health)
Since multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic condition for which there’s currently no cure, BMS, together with Ogilvy Health, was determined to push beyond conventional solutions and help those with MS achieve mind-body harmony. The team found that the MS community is very active on social media, concerned with how MS will affect their daily lives, and trusting of endorsements. They also found that despite a growing body of research showing the potential benefits of music therapy for people living with MS, no dedicated educational resource on this subject was available. Thus, MS in Harmony was born to fill this gap.
The team first positioned music therapy as an effective supplemental treatment option for MS via a partnership with the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) by building interactive music therapy-informed video modules led by board-certified music therapists customized to the unique needs of people living with MS. To amplify their message, they partnered with actor, singer, songwriter Ben Platt (“The Politician,” “Dear Evan Hansen”) and his sister-in-law Courtney Platt, a dancer and actor (“Glee”) who lives with relapsing MS. Along with the #MSinHarmony social media push, the initiative featured BMS’ first-ever Spotify channel with playlists from Courtney and the partnered music therapists.
The campaign racked up 851.6M media impressions, including earned spots on “The TODAY Show,” “The Drew Barrymore Show,” and People to name a few. In three months, the MSinHarmony Instagram channel garnered nearly 1.5K followers and the website boasted 25.6K visits. The campaign will continue throughout 2021 and surely keep garnering national attention.
