Our annual showcase presenting some of the best work from agencies serving the life science industry from the past year. Each agency explains the creative process behind their campaign and lists the people responsible for working on it.

AbelsonTaylor

AbelsonTaylor

Sunovion Pharmaceuticals
Latuda Staircase Campaign

AbelsonTaylor_Showcase

Marketing Challenge: Bipolar depression is a debilitating disease that impacts over 10 million adults in the U.S. The category is plagued by frequent switching and adjustment of medication as many patients have difficulty finding one that will work with the fewest side effects or one that will continue to work over time. Latuda was faced with the challenge of building rapid awareness around the bipolar depression indication and differentiating in a cluttered depression/mood anxiety category filled with both branded and generic options for multiple indications.

Creative Strategy: The Latuda campaign focuses on how bipolar depression can be a daily struggle for patients. The cover of the sales aid presents an image of a patient who is standing low on a spiral staircase, looking up for direction. In the pay-off image, the woman has climbed out of her bipolar depression and is able to positively progress, join her family and reconnect with her life. The imagery serves as a metaphor for bipolar depression and also the overall symptom improvement Latuda can offer patients. Market research revealed that the staircase also served as a metaphor for the work that patients and their healthcare provider put into helping patients overcome their struggle with bipolar depression.

Senior Copywriter: Jeff Baffico
Associate Creative Director, Copy: Rachel Lomasz
Senior Art Director: Chris Belford
Creative Director: Jody Van Swearingen
Associate Creative Director, Art: Annie Barton
Photographer: Todd Baxter

Calcium

Calcium

CardioNet
CardioNet Arrhythmia Monitoring Campaign

Cardionet_SalesAid_Sherlock_r21.indd

 

CardioNet is the world’s leading supplier of Mobile Cardiac Outpatient Telemetry (MCOT). They provide the next-generation ambulatory cardiac monitoring service with beat-to-beat, real-time analysis, automatic arrhythmia detection and wireless ECG transmission. CardioNet prides itself with helping clinicians prevent morbidity, mortality and disability with rapid diagnosis and treatment of patients with cardiovascular disease.

The Masters of Detection campaign was designed to dramatically demonstrate that CardioNet offers a range of state-of-the-art arrhythmia monitoring devices—one for every patient and diagnostic need. In the campaign, the complete range of detection devices casts a single shadow–emphasizing the single high standard of detection accuracy shared by all the devices. Moreover, the single shadow forms the shape of “Sherlock Holmes”—powerful iconography known the world over as connoting a “master of detection.”

Creative Director, Copy: Michael Ward
Associate Creative Director, Art: Mick Rogers

Concentric Health Experience

Concentric Health Experience

Theravance
Vibativ Looms Large Professional Campaign

Vibativ_WallDecor_final.indd

After a period off the market, Vibativ needed a compelling campaign to reintroduce the product. Vibativ is a bactericidal, once-daily, injectable antibiotic with a dual mechanism of action. Reentering the hospital setting, our creative objective was to develop a campaign that would telegraphically depict the “Vibativ situation.”

In an already crowded anti-infective market, physicians weren’t sure when or in whom to use Vibativ. The objective was to make it clear to physicians when MRSA risk was looming and they knew vancomycin wasn’t going to work, these patients were right for Vibativ.

While competitive products highlight infections, this campaign puts the patient front and center while crediting physicians’ judgment about when to make the switch. The phrase “the next step” is a hint at when Vibativ should be used: When there is a need for an alternative to vancomycin, physicians should be automatically thinking Vibativ next.

The results were staggering: Launch sales expectations were exceeded by 167%. Client and customer response were also overwhelmingly positive.

Account Team:
SVP, Group Account Director: Bethany Sardinha
Senior Account Executive: Susy Kim

Creative Team:
Managing Partner, Executive Creative Director: Adam Cohen
SVP, Creative Director, Copy: Kelly Wilson
SVP, Creative Director, Art: Christa Moeller

Dudnyk

Dudnyk

Nicox
Drying Sunflowers Campaign

Dudnyk_Showcase_1

Problem:
As many as 1 in 10 patients with dry eye symptoms also have Sjögren’s syndrome, an autoimmune disease that causes symptoms of dryness, which affect multiple organ systems. In fact, four million people in the U.S. are suffering with the disease, but only one million have been diagnosed.

Insight:
The Drying Sunflowers campaign had to immediately convey the urgency of Sjögren’s syndrome and communicate that eye care professionals play an important role in properly diagnosing patients with the disease. The flowers highlighted the progression from mild dry eye symptoms to the devastating, systemic effects of Sjögren’s syndrome. The flower on the left represents a dry eye, which slowly progresses to full body dryness, depicted by the wilted flower on the right. The deterioration of the flowers illustrated the emotional impact and physical consequences of this disease.

Impact:
Showcasing real patient stories in subsequent tactics drew the attention of eye care professionals and motivated them to take a closer look at their own patients. A microsite attracted an overwhelming amount of visitors, and supporting eBlasts increased the traction with each deployment, exceeding 150% of expected traffic.

Agency Team:
SVP, Creative Director: Laurie Bartolomeo
SVP, Creative Director: John Kemble
VP, Account Director: Scott Harper
Copywriter: Marielle Albanese
Associate Art Director: Carrie Reed
Senior Account Executive: Kim Cosenza

Client Team:
Senior Director, Head of Marketing & Operations: Jason Menzo
Senior Brand Manager: Aaron Young

Flashpoint Medica

Flashpoint Medica

Meda Pharmaceuticals
Aerospan Launch Campaign

Flashpoint_Showcase_2

Marketing Challenge: The inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) market for asthma is largely undifferentiated and satisfied. Both primary care physicians and specialists (such as pediatricians, allergists and pulmonologists) see brands as interchangeable and effective. Although asthma treatment guidelines reference the use of spacers, suggesting that they increase lung deposition and decrease side effects, there are no commercially available corticosteroids with a built-in spacer. Aerospan would be the first and only ICS with the convenience of a built-in spacer.

Campaign Objective: To create a memorable launch campaign for Aerospan that highlights its unique built-in spacer that provides the highest lung deposition in class.

Creative Strategy: The strategy and positioning we developed differentiated the brand and made a compelling case for its use: Aerospan is engineered to simply deliver more drug where you need it, and less where you don’t.

Results: The launch is only months out so measures of success are not yet available. But if the accolades from the client and initial customer reactions relayed by the sales force are any indication, the product launch will be a resounding success.

Agency Team:
EVP/Executive Creative Director: Steve Frederick
SVP/Creative Director: Steve Witt
SVP/Associate Creative Director/Copy: Kerry Baker
Art Supervisor: Don Regan
SVP/Strategic Planner: Chris Weber
Group Account Supervisor: Angela Clarke-Lyles

Client Team:
Director of Marketing: Genevieve Mylott
Product Manager: Kelly Currie

ghg

ghg (Grey Healthcare Group)

 Think About Your Eyes
Think About Your Eyes

ESG-TAY-D38412 TAYE Muscles Ad Rv4.indd

We uncovered an alarming statistic: More than 58% of American adults aren’t getting an eye exam each year because they believe, “If I can see okay, then my vision is fine.” But by not having an annual exam, those with vision impairments are experiencing a diminished quality of life and loss of productivity, and they are contributing to the $68 billion the U.S. government spends in direct healthcare costs.

We also learned that 25% of children ages 5 to 17 have impaired vision. Adults and parents of children simply weren’t aware that a comprehensive eye exam could both help correct vision and detect preventable health conditions.

Using “eye-opening” facts and “thought-provoking” information, the Think About Your Eyes fully integrated campaign combined a proven behavior-change model with classic consumer marketing to motivate the public to make vision health a priority and take action.

Study results confirm that the campaign met and/or exceeded goals in the six months it was in market:

  • First-ever exam growth was 8%.
  • Total eye exam growth was 4.3%.
  • Website traffic visits are already at more than 700K in Q3, far exceeding expectations.

SVP, Client Services Director: Sheri Mandry
Group Account Supervisor: Christina Landers
VP, Associate Creative Director, Art: Dan Sciolto
VP, Associate Creative Director, Copy: Elisa Wright

Intouch Solutions

Intouch Solutions

Sanofi
KidneyAPPetite™: Providing Value Beyond the Pill

IntouchSolution_Showcase

KidneyAPPetite is aimed at providing assistance to people living with chronic kidney disease (CKD) to help them make healthier food choices, monitor their daily intake of key nutrients (such as potassium, sodium, phosphorus, calcium, protein, carbohydrates, calories) and fluids against their daily guidelines. People diagnosed with CKD have significant limitations on the type and quantity of food as well as fluid volume intake. Manually tracking food and fluids at each meal can be challenging with limited tools available to help CKD patients with this tedious task. KidneyAPPetite is designed to fill this gap and make this tracking process easier for patients.

Dietitians work closely with their CKD patients to help set goals, make good meal decisions and manage their disease. The dietitian therefore needs to understand what key nutrients and fluids their patients are consuming on a regular basis. KidneyAPPetite enables patients to capture and share this information with their dietitian if they choose to do so. It also provides the ability to analyze weekly or monthly nutrient and fluid intake trends.

KidneyAPPetite represents how the Sanofi Renal team continues to demonstrate their longstanding commitment to patient support.

Agency Team:
Account Team: Jana Mehlin
Account Team: Colette Wunderlich
Creative Director, Art: Tomek Weber
Creative Director, Copy: Andrea Byrne
Senior Technical Engagement Manager: Brad Cunard
Senior Director, Application Development: Yusuf Yaman

Client Team:
Sr. Director U.S. Marketing: Margaret Crowley
Associate Product Manager, U.S. Marketing: Ben Gillis
Customer Solutions & Innovation: Florence Gouin

JUICE Pharma Worldwide

JUICE Pharma Worldwide

Merck
Merck Adult Vaccination Program (MAVP) Website

JUICE_Showcase

The role of pharmacists as healthcare providers has been evolving; they are becoming more trusted and valued in their communities. They have a unique ability to expand access to patient care—especially through vaccination. Because of their trusted role within the community and the amount of patients they see each month, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has charged pharmacists with improving the low vaccination rates among adults. However, there has been no centralized source of information for implementation of best practices in pharmacy vaccination.

The Merck Adult Vaccination Program (MAVP) was created to help pharmacists expand access to vaccination for adults. The MAVP website is the portal through which pharmacists can access the tools they need to establish year-round vaccination programs in their pharmacies. The site features continually updated articles, “peer-to-peer” videos in which pharmacists share their ideas, and support tools that are rooted in real-world practical application. MAVP is a robust home for the pharmacists, a one-stop-shop for them to visit often.

SVP, Group Creative Director: Deb Strober
SVP, Group Creative Director: Chris Reese
SVP, Management Supervisor: Joyce Griggs
VP, Associate Creative Director: Erica Ptohos
VP, Associate Creative Director: Sarah Hudnall
VP, Group Copy Supervisor: Jessica Feinberg
VP, Director of User Experience & Content Marketing: Alec Pollak
SVP, Director of Interactive Strategy: Jonathan Brady
VP, Account Supervisor: Michael Tannous
Associate Director of Project Management: Matt Pine
Copywriter: Cheryl Friedman
Group Copy Supervisor: Jessica Housner
Art Supervisor: Lesley Weiner
Art Director: Idris Rashid
Senior Editor: Rubab Khan
Associate Director of Editorial Services: Cathy Peck
SVP, Director of Production: Michael Kaminski
VP, Creative Production Manager: Allison Candage

Klick Health

Klick Health

Millennium: The Takeda Oncology Company
VELCADE.com Patient Site

Klick_Showcase

VELCADE® (bortezomib) is a type of chemotherapy called a targeted therapy that is approved by the FDA for the treatment of multiple myeloma and relapsed mantle cell lymphoma. As these diseases typically affect older patients, VELCADE.com was created to be visually engaging with intuitive navigation and tools to support patients through their journey and facilitate conversations with their physicians.

One of the site’s most popular features is the Understand Your Lab Tests guide, which explains common terms and tests associated with multiple myeloma treatment using easily understood language and clear visuals. The Lab Test Tracker complements the guide and provides patients with a single location to record their test results across multiple test dates for easy comparison during doctor’s appointments.

A new addition to the site is the treatment calendar tool that allows patients to customize their calendar to track all their treatment dates and appointments, as well as supportive tips. To prepare for these appointments, patients can create their own customizable healthcare discussion guide so that they can have an educational dialogue with their healthcare team. These tools were created to help support patients through their journey with multiple myeloma and VELCADE.

VELCADE.com also offers a Patient Support Program. Patients who sign up receive supportive emails with information and helpful resources that are relevant to them at their stage in their journey, like hearing the inspiring stories of real patients whether on the site or by signing up for a live education event. VELCADE.com is committed to supporting multiple myeloma patients at every stage of their journey every way it can.

Associate Director, Marketing: Fatima Scipione
Account Director: Natalie Sweet
Senior Project Manager: Kelly Yewer
User Experience Architect: Ilana Schwartz
User Experience Architect: Luis Aguila
Senior Web Developer: Mark Donaldson

McCann Regan Campbell Ward

McCann Regan Campbell Ward

Boehringer Ingelheim
Unbranded Ischemic Stroke in Afib Disease-state Campaign (Chokehold)

AFIB544805PROF_Unbranded_Advertorial_ASize_D01.indd

In the prevention of stroke due to atrial fibrillation (AF), a long-standing global challenge has been the differentiation between various types of AF-related strokes, such as ischemic and hemorrhagic. Even though nearly 9 out of 10 strokes in AF patients are ischemic, physicians do not see a need to change current treatment practices to focus more strongly on prevention of ischemic stroke.

Recognizing an opportunity to change current beliefs, the Pradaxa marketing team set out to develop a disease-state awareness campaign that frames the importance of ischemic stroke in the realm of anticoagulation. With groundbreaking, arresting visuals that call attention to the problem—ischemic strokes in the brain—and a factual approach to content, the campaign is making waves in the cardiology community. Physicians now have an eye-catching campaign that encourages them to question their current treatment paradigm.

Chief Creative Officer: Dan Hassan
VP/Associate Creative Director: Jeff Lubalin
VP/Associate Creative Director: Dorothy Chin
Copywriter: Olivia Young
Art Director: Chad Polovick
VP, Management Supervisor: Carolyn Gorelick
Account Supervisor: Amalia Hohberger

Mylan Specialty, Chandler Chicco Agency & inVentiv Creative Studios

Mylan Specialty, Chandler Chicco Agency & inVentiv Creative Studios

Get Schooled in Anaphylaxis™: Raise Your Hand for Anaphylaxis Awareness

MylanChandlerChicco_Showcase

With an estimated 1 in 13 children in the U.S. living with food allergies, a common cause of life-threatening allergic reactions (anaphylaxis), awareness and preparedness among the school community is critical. Mylan Specialty, in partnership with Chandler Chicco Agency and inVentiv Creative Services, tackled the challenge of educating the American public about anaphylaxis through this integrated, multi-channel campaign.

Julie Bowen, campaign spokesperson and Emmy-award winning actress and mom of a child with life-threatening allergies, led the consumer call to action, “raising” her hand first on the campaign’s website, Anaphylaxis101.com. Through this action, she recognized her school district and encouraged others to take part in this national awareness effort. Educational grants were given to competition winners.

Pairing a credible spokesperson with engaging, multi-faceted content was a winning combination for this campaign. In just four months, campaign messages reached more than 200 million through traditional and social media; advocacy; The Carnival, a digital e-book, narrated by Bowen; and event execution including more than 147,000 hands raised in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. This award-winning campaign has been recognized for individual web, digital and social elements, and was recently named the PRWeek Healthcare Campaign of the Year.

Palio+Ignite

Palio+Ignite

Abbott Vascular
KnowMore

PalioIgnite_Showcase_2

Mitral valve disease is one of the most common valvular heart diseases in the world, yet intervention in organic mitral regurgitation (MR) is currently underutilized. As many as half (49%) of symptomatic patients presenting with severe MR are not referred for surgery, and severe MR patients with comorbidities survive only 2.6 years without correction.

The objective of the KnowMore campaign is to galvanize clinical cardiologists to recognize the urgency surrounding the seriousness of mitral valve disease. To achieve this objective, we created an awareness campaign (website, brand book, journal ad) to amplify the urgency surrounding the disease by educating cardiologists on the impact, treatment options and benefits.

Less than a month after the campaign launched: There were 3,981 visits to the site from 3,535 visitors for the month of December and visitors spend an average of 1.25 minutes on the site, consuming more than three pages per visit.

Chief Global Creative Officer: Guy Mastrion
VP, Creative Director: Joanna Beeman
Senior Art Director: Bob Comoglio
Operations Manager: Jillian Welker
Editor: Laura Haefner
EVP, Chief Medical Officer: Uwe Tigör, MD
Tech Lead: Andy Jenkins

PulseCX

PulseCX

Emergent BioSolutions
WinRho SDF HCP Campaign

PulseCX_Showcase

How do you get an effective but underutilized ITP therapy to climb the treatment paradigm?

Even though WinRho SDF was being recommended as a first-line therapy in treating immune thrombocytopenic purpura, its use was declining. So, we researched what really motivated patients and healthcare professionals and found we just needed to look at the brand’s features—zeroing in on the rapid, durable platelet increase it delivers based on the patient’s response.

Next, we created a campaign that conveyed powerful efficacy and dosing messages. The result—an arresting patient portrait comprised entirely of platelets. This captivating campaign was the impetus for designing a new brand experience, which included materials that energized the sales force, and helped them convey the “custom control” that WinRho SDF gives to healthcare professionals and their patients.

The campaign also transformed WinRho.com into a stimulating, interactive learning experience. And that’s how we helped WinRho SDF capture the true essence of the customer experience.

CEO: Jay Bolling
President: David Zaritsky
Chief Creative Officer: Tina Fascetti
Associate Creative Director, Art: Mary Rose Rogowski

Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness

Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness

Crossroads Community Services
Street Fare Campaign

SaatchiSaatchiWellness_Showcase

In New York City, the growing homeless community’s presence has come to be accepted, with individuals hiding in plain sight on street corners.

The Street Fare outdoor campaign aimed to capture bystanders’ attention by dramatizing the place they often divert their eyes to in uncomfortable situations: The pavement. At the same time, we also wanted to present an inviting way to create awareness and encourage action.

In order to reach our goal, we needed to overcome the ambivalence many individuals feel toward homeless people and find a way to create a connection between people who walk on the street and the suffering of those living there. The answer lies in the grittiness of the streets themselves.

New Yorkers, being people who walk more than they drive, have a strong familiarity with urban sidewalks and public parks. But the street experience is different for the homeless. The trash bin is their kitchen. The pavement is their dining table. The garbage is their food.

Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness, Global Chief Creative Officer: Kathy Delaney
Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness, Creative Director, Art: Carolyn Gargano
Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness, Creative Director, Copy: Scott Carlton
Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness, Executive Producer: Steve Pytko
Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness, Art Buyer, Film/Commercial Producer: Erica Cassano
Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness, Brand Planner: Quinn Murray
Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness, Account Executive: Marc Bernstein
Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness, Sr. Print Production Manager: Linda Ellis
Mike Perry Studios, Illustrator: Mike Perry
Cut + Run, Editor: Dayn Williams
Cut + Run, Assistant Editor: Katie Pahowski
Cut + Run, Flame Artist: Joseph Grasso
Nicolas Maloof Photography, Photographer: Nicolas Maloof
The Mill, Post Production: Fergus McCall
Everett Video, Film Director: Michael Everett
Optic Films, Film Director: Jamie Irving
Publicis Health Media, President, Chief Global Media Director: Matt McNally
Publicis Health Media, Vice President, Group Director of Media: Sue Laks
Publicis Health Media, Media Director: Pricilla Lo
Publicis Health Media, Media Supervisor: Danielle Tate

StoneArch

StoneArch

Saltzman Research Lab at The University of Minnesota
Project Stealth

StoneArch_Showcase

Daniel Saltzman, MD, Chief of Pediatric Surgery at the University of Minnesota Amplatz Children’s Hospital, is developing a brilliant new cancer therapy that kills cancer cells without any toxic side effects. To advance this research to human trials, he needed to raise $500,000 in bridge funding or risk shutting down his lab. Enter Project Stealth. StoneArch developed Project Stealth as a brand and campaign that upended the stodgy image of clinical research with passion and urgency. The campaign’s compelling story balanced hard science with human interest, and its singular message—HELP FUND A SNEAK ATTACK ON CANCER—resonated with audiences beyond the medical community.

The pro bono campaign included a dedicated website (projectstealth.org), branded social media channels, a Kickstarter-style video, brochure, media kit, TEDx talk and live events. With no budget for paid media, StoneArch spread the word through an aggressive social media campaign and a collaboration with StoneArch PR partner Pineapple RM. Since its launch in September 2013, Project Stealth has raised more than $160,000 and has been featured in the Star Tribune, Pioneer Press and Crowdfund Insider, on CBS Minnesota radio and TED.com.

Creative Director: Phil Hoch
Digital Designer: Allison Balow
Senior Writer: Nancy Belusky
Producer/Director: Steve Blehert
Video Editor and Motion Graphics Artist: Brian Klein
Director of Digital Strategy and Development: Paul Lyrek
President: Jessica Boden
CEO: Jerrold Gershone
Founder: Judy Kessel
Senior Writer: Cathy Gasiorowicz

STRIKEFORCE Communications

STRIKEFORCE Communications

Gilead
Forget Me Not Disease Activation Campaign

GIL_U_200_Spread_A_COMMONSIZE_Hiker.indd

Today, there are over three million people suffering from Hepatitis C, a serious disease that can lead to liver damage and potentially even liver cancer if left untreated. Unfortunately, up until recently, the treatment options have been complex with significant side effects and have been relatively ineffective—leaving patients with little hope and feeling forgotten.

Gilead’s Hepatitis C consumer agency of record, STRIKEFORCE Communications, developed Forget Me Not, a disease activation campaign that connected with Hep C patients through empathy and compassion to let them know that they haven’t been forgotten. The campaign encourages patients to register at HepcHope.com and talk with their gastroenterologist about scientific advances that could help them move on from the disease. The campaign has run in major magazines, on the radio, online, in physician offices and on national television during high profile shows like The Voice. It also recently won Gold for Best Disease Awareness Campaign TV at DTC National.

Agency Management:
Mike Rutstein
Pat Prugno

Account:
Marlene Wallace
Kashmira Patel

Creative:
Jenny Sandbank
Robert Dufour

Agency Producer:
Steve Friedman

The CementBloc

The CementBloc

Salix Pharmaceuticals – Giazo
The “They’re Ready for it” Campaign

TheCementBloc_Showcase

Giazo was entering an overcrowded ulcerative colitis (UC) marketplace and needed a campaign that could break through the noise. To do just that, we developed a campaign that embraced the male patient as a unique problem for Giazo. Combining arresting images with hard-hitting headlines that defined the patient type, we didn’t just introduce a new therapy, we introduced a whole new way to think about men with UC.

Partners/Creative Directors: Elizabeth Elfenbein and Stephanie Berman
SVP, Creative Director, Art: Brit Till
EVP, Group Account Director: Wendy Levine
Group Account Director: Melissa Gelade
Group Copy Director: David Stemler
Art Supervisor: Aaron Sidorov

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